Controversial legislation that would make  condom use mandatory at porn shoots filmed in California passed a crucial committee vote last week and now heads to the full assembly for final approval. 

The measure has been framed as a workplace safety issue: testing and the use of condoms or other protective barriers will prevent spread of disease in the porn industry. Adult performers who testified in favor of the law (AB 1576), included Joshua Rodgers (AKA Rod Daily), who became HIV positive while working in the adult industry in August 2013, though there's no proof the infection occured on set.

 

In 2012, voters in Los Angeles County passed a bylaw which requires condom use in adult movies filmed in the county, though it hasn't been strictly enforced. 

 

The bill is the result of intense lobbying by Michael Weinstein, head of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and is sponsored by Assemblyman Isadore Hall III.

 

The legislation faces strong opposition from leaders in the adult industry, who argue that current disease testing procedures are sufficient to stop the spread of HIV and that enforcement would force performers to waive their medical privacy. They also believe the industry would migrate to other states if the legislation were to become law. 

 

The measure passed committee on a 9-3 vote. It now heads to the Assembly floor.