BOISE - Rep. Frank Henderson promoted legislation Monday to add another six years to a state law that could enable Idaho to give film industry tax incentives.

The legislation, House Bill 498, cleared the House Business Committee that Henderson, R-Post Falls, chairs.

Henderson noted making Idaho a location for film industry projects helps the state's economy.

"Our goal is to get the investment made in the state of Idaho," Henderson said. "Utah is benefiting, the state of New Mexico produces a lot of films, Arizona does."

The measure, now on its way to the House floor, would extend the existence of Idaho's currently-empty "Film and Television Production Business Rebate Fund," to July 1, 2020, from its currently scheduled expiration date of July 1 of this year.

Idaho Department of Commerce DirectorJeffery Sayer told the business committee that when the film industry makes an attractive proposal to produce work in Idaho to inject new revenue into the Idaho economy, then Commerce would ask lawmakers for money to deposit into the incentive fund.

Sayer said more than "$300 million in projects have looked at the state."

"We have a number of people that are interested in filming in the outdoors," Sayer said. "And, we have great relationships with the (U.S.) Forest Service, and others to help accelerate permits to provide for that. But what we're finding is, as this industry kind of matures and develops, the one piece that we do see on the horizon that's missing is some kind of a tax incentive to kind of bring the bigger projects to the state."

Sayer observed that Idaho's film industry rebate fund is currently empty.

"So, what we have is a great shell on the books that has zero funding," Sayer said.

A "business case," needs to be made by Commerce to the Legislature to replenish that fund, Sayer said.

"I can promise you that that request would not come until there's money available, after education and all of our other priorities, but hoping that that's on the horizon over the next few years," Sayer said. "We are asking that you allow us to extend this sunset clause, so that the statute and the shell remains intact, and then of course we come back with a business case to be made."