AHF will NOT bid on L.A.’s porn film ordinance inspection contract

In News by AHF

In January, Los Angeles City Council adopted an historic ordinance that ties issuance of adult film permits to condom use in the films; since then adult industry sources have alleged that AHF, the main proponent of the measure, was seeking to secure the City contract for inspecting film sets for compliance

LOS ANGELES (May 23, 2012) – AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the primary backers of a new City of Los Angeles ordinance that conditions the issuance of adult film permits by the City to condom use in adult films shot under the auspices of the permits, is announcing that it will NOT pursue a contract or request for proposal from the City as a potential vendor or service provider to monitor adult film production sets throughout Los Angeles to check for compliance with the new City of Los Angeles ordinance. The ordinance, known as the ‘City of Los Angeles Safer Sex In The Adult Film Industry Act,’ was first proposed by AHF and members of the group, ‘For Adult Industry Responsibility’ (FAIR) as a citywide voter ballot initiative that was to have be placed on the June election ballot; however, in an historic action, it was adopted directly into law in January of this year by the Los Angles City Council. Since then and throughout the entire signature gathering process last autumn, some opponents of the measure and members of the adult film industry have alleged that AHF would be seeking to secure a City contract for inspecting film sets for compliance.

“It’s becoming clearer that the City of Los Angeles does not want—and/or many not actually have the capacity to enforce this new adult film safety ordinance that requires inspection of adult film sets for compliance with condom use in the productions,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “There are many objective, neutral compliance groups out there such as nursing agencies that can likely do this monitoring under contract to the city. And since this inspection and compliance effort will not cost the city anything—money for the inspections comes directly from the industry itself in the form of film permit fees—city officials should forge ahead and arrange for a qualified outside contractor to handle these compliance inspections. Currently, AHF does not have the capability or expertise in this arena, and as such, we will not bid on any contracts or requests for proposals to monitor adult film sets for compliance with the film permit ordinance.”

In December 2011, adult film safety advocates submitted over 70,000 City of Los Angeles voter signatures—far more than the 41,000 needed to qualify the measure for election. In early January 2012, the Los Angeles City Clerk certified the signatures and recommended that City Council either, “…adopt the proposed ordinance, without alteration,” outright or “submit it” for the “regularly-scheduled State Primary Election” set for June 5, 2012, which will be conducted by the County of Los Angeles.

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