Ticketing Legislation Advances in U.S. House and Senate
Theatres are experiencing harm from predatory activity in the secondary ticket sales market. Deceptive URLs and fake ticket sales hurt theatres’ relationship with audiences and the financial impact is substantial. Last week, legislation moved forward in the U.S. House and Senate to apply new rules for both primary and secondary ticket sales. TCG and the Performing Arts Alliance and our partners in the Fix the Tix Coalition are supporting S. 3457, the Fans First Act, a bipartisan Senate bill that would prohibit the use of deceptive websites and speculative ticket sales, and create new requirements for all ticket sellers to disclose all-in prices and fee details.
Congress will consider next steps on this legislation early in 2024. You can speak up now, share examples of your theatre’s experience, and ask your elected officials to take action. Learn more in TCG’s ticketing policy overview and take action through our online advocacy campaign.
Congressional Letter Urges U.S. Secretary of Education to Improve Access to Arts Education
A bipartisan letter led by Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (OR) and Chellie Pingree (ME) has been delivered to the U.S. Department of Education, signed by 38 U.S. Representatives and seeking immediate action to improve access to arts education nationwide. If your member of the U.S. House of Representatives is among those endorsing the letter, please send a message of thanks! TCG partnered with national arts education stakeholders to pursue this policy action and we thank the theatre advocates who joined others from the full range of arts disciplines throughout the country in rallying support from Congress!
Prepare for FY25 NEA Grant Applications
Theatres throughout the country receive vital federal support through direct grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The NEA has posted updated guidelines for applicants seeking support via its major grant categories of Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) and Challenge America. GAP has two funding cycles, with the first deadline falling on February 15, 2024. The agency will be holding discipline-specific webinars as well as staff office hours beginning in January.
Visa Petitions to Texas Service Center
TCG is working with the Performing Arts Visa Coalition at the policy level to improve the artist visa process and also to provide the latest news to help theatres engaging international artists. As of October 1, visa petitions for international guest artists are no longer directly mailed to California or Vermont. Instead, all form I-129 petitions seeking O or P classification approvals must be mailed to the Texas Service Center or be rejected as improperly filed. Learn specifics about the address change in the news section of Artists from Abroad and then peruse the site for basic filing guidance.
TCG Joins Coalition to Preserve American Jobs - ERTC
The Coalition to Preserve American Jobs (CPAJ) is comprised of employers across industries who are the engine of the U.S. economy, along with those within the tax credit community. Tax credits like the ERTC provide crucial tools to eligible employers as they continue to face instability and uncertainty in today’s economy. The Coalition’s shared goal is to safeguard employment-based tax credits for future unforeseen natural disasters and any future instances of emergent economic uncertainty. The coalition is seeking both ERTC success stories of jobs preserved, as well as stories of organizations enduring long delays in their claims. Please share both types of stories here.
SBA SVOG Updates
The Small Business Administration has shared end-of-year updates and notes regarding Close Out, Monitoring, and the Audit process for SVOG. TCG has posted the updates here.