A bill to protect child actors from being exploited by sexual predators moved a step closer to becoming law on Thursday.
The California State Senate Appropriations Committee voted unanimously to approve legislation preventing registered sex offenders from working as talent agents, publicists or in other capacities for actors who are minors.
The bill also requires entertainment industry professionals who work with young actors to undergo background checks to receive a permit to represent minors.
The legislation now moves forward to the full Senate.
Also read: Does Hollywood Face a Child-Molestation Crisis in Casting?
The bill has been endorsed by "Diff'rent Strokes" star Todd Bridges and "Stand By Me" actor Corey Feldman, both of whom claim to have been molested by entertainment-industry figures. It gained traction after following a series of stories broke about talent agents with histories of child molestation who were representing minors.
Last winter, Martin Weiss, a longtime manager of young talent, was arrested on suspicion of child molestation stemming from allegations made by an 18-year-old former client. His arrest happened less than a month after reports surfaced that a convicted child molester and registered sex offender named Jason James Murphy was casting children for movies.