PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The legislative session is underway and lawmakers are trying to put Florida on the silver screen. 

Sandy beaches and year round sunshine makes for the perfect back drop for a movie shoot, except for one major factor — no incentives. 

A newly introduced legislation is hoping to change that and increase film production in the Bay area.

"Anytime I meet someone anywhere, whether it's at a trade show, at a film festival, whatever it is, the first question anybody asks are what are your incentives?" St. Pete-Clearwater Film Commissioner Tony Armer said. 

The St. Pete-Clearwater Film Commission has its own incentive program, offering 10 percent back on locally spent dollars during production. 

Without a statewide program in place, the St. Pete-Clearwater Film Commission reported nearly 1800 local hires for the 2017-2018 fiscal year, and nearly 5 million dollars spent in Pinellas County alone.  That doesn't include more recent productions like the Hallmark movie "Garden Party," which wrapped filming in St. Pete last week. 

"It would be great to be able to tell producers and film makers, 'Yeah we've got a state program so come on back to Florida and film," Armer said.