Advocacy News
Workforce Relief, Charitable Giving Incentives, and NEA Funding Included in Third COVID-19 Relief Package
March 27, 2020
The largest COVID-19 federal relief package yet is expected to was signed into law today, March 27, 2020, and includes new forms of support that can be accessed by arts organizations and self-employed individuals. TCG has been a leading voice as theatres join advocates in the arts and nonprofit sectors nationwide seeking federal relief that will protect their substantial workforce and safeguard their essential service to communities in the wake of unprecedented closures and event cancellations. Forms of federal support that have traditionally been more limited are now expanded to offer opportunities for the nonprofit sector and workers in the gig economy, including many self-employed theatre artists, to find relief amidst the COVID-19 crisis. While these forms of assistance are meant to be rapidly available, more details will be needed as federal agencies sort out the fine print.
Please find highlights of the CARES Act here.
Year-End Policy Package Contains Great News for Theatres!
Posted December 19, 2019
Two important policy priorities that were advanced by Theatre Communications Group will directly increase theatres’ capacity to serve their communities. Measures that will remove a tax on nonprofit parking and commuting benefits and increased resources in support of the arts are included in a package of year-end spending and tax provisions expected to be signed into law by December 20, 2019.
Click here to find out more about the Repeal of Tax on Parking and Commuting Benefits as well as a Significant Increase in Funding for the National Endowment for the Arts in FY2020.
UBIT Coalition Seeks Repeal of Tax Provision
Posted November 14, 2019
TCG is a member of the UBIT Coalition, which includes over 115 national and regional tax-exempt organizations and associations, which sent a letter to Congressional Leadership to restate its call to Congress to repeal Internal Revenue Code (Code) Section 512(a)(7) and its 21-percent tax on qualified transportation fringe benefits that tax exempt employers provide to employees and to request that Congress include the repeal of this misguided and harmful new tax upon America’s charities in the Continuing Resolution to be enacted this month.
U.S. House of Representatives Approves Significant Funding Increase to the NEA for FY20!
Posted July 1, 2019
On June 25, the U.S. House strongly rejected President Trump's budget request to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) by approving $167.5 million in funding for fiscal year (FY) 2020! This is an increase of $12.5 million over the FY 2019 funding level of $155 million.
The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate for possible consideration (the Senate may also take up their own version of this appropriations bill).
This is the third year in a row that the Trump administration has proposed a termination of the NEA in his budget proposal to the U.S. Congress. The past two years, Congress has rejected this request and moderately increased funding for the cultural agencies. This year, the House is sending an even stronger message of the importance of arts funding by increasing the appropriation by $12.5 million.
The funding increase matches the 2019 Arts Advocacy Day ask which would help broaden access to the cultural, educational, and economic benefits of the arts and to advance creativity and innovation in communities across the United States. This also follows public witness testimony presented by Flordelino Lagundino, Artistic Director of Park Square Theatre in St. Paul, MN at the invitation of TCG, before the Interior Subcommittee in February, asking for the cultural agencies to be funded at $167.5 million. This is the same amount requested by the co-chairs of the Congressional Arts Caucus Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY)—in a letter signed by a record-number (184) of members of Congress.
We are hopeful that the Senate will follow the House's lead in expanding funding for the NEA and NEH. We'll be keeping close watch over every step of the appropriations process. Stay tuned for more updates after the July 4th recess! Please respond to TCG Action Alerts and weigh in with your Members of Congress!
NEA Announces Second Round of Grants for FY 2019
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will award $80,474,000 in direct grants to fund 1,114 projects and state and regional partnerships in the second major grant announcement of the 2019 fiscal year. In this round, 977 Art Works II grants, totaling $24,028,500, are to be awarded to organizations across the country
Additionally, through the Our Town grant program, the NEA supports partnerships of artists, arts organizations, and municipal government that work to revitalize neighborhoods. In this round, 57 Our Town grants, totaling $4,115,000, are also to be awarded.
62 TCG Member Theatres collectively received 62 awards totaling $1,475,000 in these categories: Arts Education, Media Arts, Musical Theater, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, and Theater (all disciplines encompassed by Art Works), as well as Our Town - Design.
Please click here for a list of all TCG Member Theatres that received NEA grants in this round
Complete lists of all awardees—as well as more detailed information about Art Works, Our Town and Research: Art Works grants—can be found on the NEA website, along with a timetable of upcoming grant application deadlines.
House Subcommittee Proposes Substantial NEA Increase!
Great news from the House today!
Posted May 15, 2019
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, chaired by Rep. Betty McCollum, released a funding bill on May 14, 2019 that includes $167.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) which, if enacted, would be a $12.5 million increase!
After four years of incremental increases for the NEA, this substantial increase reflects the robust bi-partisan support we have built on the Hill.
The House Interior Subcommittee marked up the bill today and approved it to be considered by the full House Appropriations Committee which will vote on the bill next week.
The Senate has yet to release any appropriations bills. We expect to begin seeing them later this spring or this summer.
NEA Announces First Round of Grants for FY 2019
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will award $27,386,500 in direct grants to fund 1,145 projects and state and regional partnerships in the first major grant announcement of the 2019 fiscal year. In this round, 972 Art Works grants, totaling $25,131,500, are to be awarded to organizations across the country.
Art Works grants support:
- Creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence
- Strengthening of communities for the arts
- Public engagement with diverse and excellent art
- Lifelong learning in the arts
Additionally, through the Challenge America grant program, the NEA supports small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations—those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Through the Challenge America grant program, 138 grants, totaling $1,380,000, are also to be awarded.
98 TCG Member Theatres collectively received 98 awards totaling $2,515,000 in these categories: Musical Theater, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, and Theater (all disciplines encompassed by Art Works), as well as Challenge America.
Please click here for a list of all TCG Member Theatres that received NEA grants in this round.
Complete lists of all awardees—as well as more detailed information about Art Works, Challenge America, and Creative Writing Fellowship grants—can be found on the NEA website, along with a timetable of upcoming grant application deadlines.
NEA Announces Second Round of Grants for FY 2018
Posted May 30, 2018
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will award $81,757,250 in direct grants to fund 1,071 projects and state and regional partnerships in the second major grant announcement of the 2018 fiscal year. In this round, 902 Art Works grants, totaling $23,434,000, are to be awarded to organizations across the country.
67 TCG Member Theatres collectively received 70 awards totaling $1,875,000 in these categories: Arts Education, Media Arts, Musical Theater, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, and Theater (all disciplines encompassed by Art Works), as well as Creativity Connects and Our Town.
Please click here for a list of all TCG Member Theatres that received NEA grants in this round.
Complete lists of all awardees—as well as more detailed information about Art Works, Creativity Connects, and Our Town grants—can be found on the NEA website, along with a timetable of upcoming grant application deadlines.
FCC – Changes to Rules for Wireless Microphones
Posted May 14, 2018
Interference Protection for Wireless Microphones in the Performing Arts
At the July 2017 FCC Open Meeting, the Commission voted to approve a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), opening a new proceeding in which it will consider allowing performing arts entities that use fewer than 50 wireless devices on a regular basis to apply for a license and receive the corresponding benefits, including access to better spectrum and interference protection. The Performing Arts Wireless Microphone Working Group submitted Comments and Reply Comments and generated scores of letters from the field. The Working Group also met with FCC officials to advocate for protection of wireless microphones in the performing arts. As of this writing, the Commission has not yet ruled.
Spectrum Reallocation
In the meanwhile, T-Mobile’s planned deployment in the 600 MHz band is being rolled out. T-Mobile has posted a letter and county list outlining its plans and the impact on wireless microphones, here. The entire list should be reviewed periodically, as it is being updated regularly. The webpage allows people to register to receive future email notifications as this list is updated.
Post FCC Auction Manufacturers Rebates
As you know, the FCC completed its auction of the 600MHz frequency band (616–653 MHz and 663–698 MHz.). Sound systems should be checked for compliance. Most manufacturers are offering rebates on new systems, but the window for rebates is closing soon.
Sennheiser Rebates
Shure Rebates
Audio-Technica Rebates
Funding Increases for the Arts in FY18 Omnibus Bill; Proposed Elimination of Cultural Agencies for FY19
Posted March 23, 2018
A bipartisan federal spending deal signed into law by the President on March 23, 2018 includes a $3 million increase in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)! Despite earlier proposals from the Trump Administration to eliminate the NEA, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), each of these agencies and other arts-related initiatives are receiving either level funding or increases for the current fiscal year, FY18. Your advocacy has made a difference!
However, as noted in our February 2018 Action Alert, the fight to protect funding for the arts does not end with the happy resolution of FY18’s budget process, as the President has already once again proposed elimination of the NEA and other cultural agencies for FY19. Click here to read more details about the FY18 Omnibus Bill and how to advocate for the cultural agencies for FY19.
NEA Announces First Round of Grants for FY 2018
Posted March 5, 2018
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will award $25,477,000 in direct grants to fund 1,075 projects in the first major grant announcement of the 2018 fiscal year. In this round, 936 Art Works grants, totaling $24,057,000, are to be awarded to organizations across the country.
112 TCG Member Theatres collectively received 112 awards totaling $2,715,000 in these categories: Artist Communities, Dance, Musical Theater, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, and Theater (all disciplines encompassed by Art Works), as well as Challenge America.
Please click here for a list of all TCG Member Theatres that received NEA grants in this round.
Complete lists of all awardees—as well as more detailed information about Art Works and Challenge America grants—can be found on the NEA website, along with a timetable of upcoming grant application deadlines.
TCG Submits Comments to the FCC to Protect Wireless Microphones
Posted October 2, 2017
Theatre Communications Group, together with a coalition of nine other arts, cultural, and educational service organizations that compose the Performing Arts Wireless Microphone Working Group, recently submitted Comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking detailed below in the July 10, 2017 post. The submitted Comments offer responses to FCC questions regarding the criteria that would evaluate whether an entity should be eligible for a Part 74 License—and therefore eligible for interference protection from “white space” devices.
Update: On October 16, 2017, TCG, as part of the working group, submitted Reply Comments to the FCC and coordinated the submission of over 50 other organizations’ Reply Comments—all voicing support for the expansion of eligibility for Part 74 Licenses and the interference protection they afford.
TCG Signs On to Amicus Brief Opposing Administration’s Travel Ban
Posted September 19, 2017
Theatre Communications Group has added its signature to PEN America’s amicus brief in support of the International Refugee Assistance Project’s (IRAP’s) opposition to the Administration’s travel ban. TCG joins 25 cultural organizations, in addition to PEN America, in supporting IRAP’s case.
T-Mobile to Begin Use of 600MHz Band; Wireless Mics Used in Theatres to be Affected
Posted August 16, 2017
TCG continues to take an active role in advocacy regarding interference protection for wireless microphones used in theatre. We recently learned that T-Mobile, which won the auction for wireless frequencies in the 600 MHz band, has given notice of its intent to begin using some of those channels in certain areas beginning November 1, 2017. Please read the following linked documents for additional information.
Notification of T-Mobile Deployment in the 600MHz Band
List of Affected Counties
As a reminder, frequencies where the FCC will permit wireless microphone operations would include vacant TV channels after the auction and repacking, which will vary by location. The FCC’s repacking database will help users determine which channels are likely to be available in their locations. The FCC’s spreadsheets (here and here) from April, 2017 represent the best information now available.
Update: Protection of Wireless Microphones
Posted July 10, 2017
A new opportunity for interference protection for wireless microphones used in theatre is possible! To preserve and promote high standards of artistry onstage; safety for stagehands, actors, and audiences; and accessibility for hearing-impaired patrons in our audiences, TCG supports an imminent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proceeding that has been opposed by Microsoft.
Read more about this issue and the FCC’s Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) here.
NEA Announces Second Round of Grants for FY 2017
Posted June 20, 2017
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will award 1,195 grants totaling $84.06 million in the second major grant announcement of the 2017 fiscal year. In this round, 1,029 Art Works grants totaling $26,096,000 are to be awarded to arts organizations across the country.
70 TCG Member Theatres collectively received 71 awards totaling $1,960,000 in these categories: Theater and Musical Theater, Arts Education, Presenting and Multidisciplinary Works, Media Arts, and Folk and Traditional Arts (all disciplines encompassed by Art Works), as well as Our Town grants.
Please click here for a list of all TCG Member Theatres for which the NEA has approved grants in this round.
Complete lists of all awardees—as well as more detailed information about Art Works and Our Town grants—can be found on the NEA website, along with a timetable of upcoming grant application deadlines.
Members of Congress Sign On to Support Protections for Wireless Microphones
Posted May 18, 2017
Led by Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chairs Louise Slaughter (D-25-NY) and Leonard Lance (R-7-NJ), Members of Congress submitted a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Michael O’Rielly urging them to “develop rules which preserve the quality and integrity of wireless microphones used in the performing arts.”
Members of Congress Voice Support for Continued NEA Funding
Posted April 4, 2017
On March 30, 2017, 154 Members of Congress sent a letter in support of a $155 million appropriation for the National Endowment for the Arts in FY18 to Rep. Ken Calvert and Rep. Betty McCollum, Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Interior Subcommittee.
TCG Delegation Joins Record-Breaking Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC
Posted March 29, 2017
March 20 and 21 marked the 2017 National Arts Advocacy Day, which was the largest ever with 700 advocates participating from all over the country. TCG was once again a National Co-Sponsor. Read more about our participation and see photos from our Hill visits and training sessions.
TCG Supports Call to Protect and Enforce Strong Net Neutrality Rules
Posted March 13, 2017
On the eve of the Senate Commerce Committee’s first Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Oversight Hearing of 2017, TCG joined more than 170 public interest organizations to send a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune and Ranking Member Bill Nelson calling for the protection of the free and open internet. The letter urges these leaders to support and continue to enforce the 2015 Open Internet Order and to oppose legislative and regulatory actions that would threaten the strong net neutrality rules already in place. The full letter can be found here.
Travel Ban and the Impact on International Cultural Exchange
Posted March 1, 2017
TCG has partnered with 20 other national arts organizations on a joint statement that urges policy leaders to retain access to artist visas and support opportunities for worldwide cultural exchange as the Department of Homeland Security takes next steps in its review of national security measures. President Trump has announced that a new executive order on immigration policy will be issued soon, following court action that suspended implementation of his prior executive order. Up-to-the minute guidance for navigating all changes to the artist visa process can be found at www.artistsfromabroad.org.
Support for the NEA Voiced at House Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing
Posted February 28, 2017
Several Members of Congress testified in support of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities at a hearing of The House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee today. Below, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-25-NY) offers testimony, which Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-42-CA) followed by asserting the historically bipartisan support for the agencies.
Note: The video will automatically begin at Rep. Slaughter's testimony, which came at the end of the meeting, but one can view any or all of the recorded session by clicking on earlier moments in the video's timeline.
Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chair Representative Leonard Lance (R-7-NJ) Submits Testimony in Support of NEA
Posted February 28, 2017
Congressman Lance submitted written testimony at the February 28, 2017 hearing of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee.
Teresa Eyring Responds to Recent NPR Discussion of the Importance of the NEA
Posted February 22, 2017
On February 11, 2017, National Public Radio’s “Weekend Edition Saturday” featured a conversation between NPR’s Scott Simon and David Marcus, a senior contributor to The Federalist and New York-based theatre artist, regarding Mr. Marcus’s view that the NEA inhibits the growth of arts organizations and their audiences. Today, TCG Executive Director Teresa Eyring responds, voicing strong support for the NEA and the benefits it creates via grant-making to diverse arts organizations and the communities they serve throughout the nation.
The Charitable Giving Coalition Advocates on Capitol Hill
Posted February 17, 2017
TCG director of research, policy & collective action Laurie Baskin led the New York delegation on visits to the offices of Members of Congress to support preservation of the full scope and value of the charitable tax deduction. Read more about this important work here.
Senators Support NEA and NEH in Letter to President Trump
Posted February 16, 2017
On Wednesday, February 15, 2017, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) sent President Trump a letter signed by 24 senators in support of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. "Federal support for the arts and humanities is essential to our education system, economy, and who we are as a nation," the senators emphasize.
NEA Announces First Round of Grants for FY 2017
Posted February 8, 2017
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will award $30,886,000 in direct grants to fund 1,180 projects in the first major grant announcement of the 2017 fiscal year. In this round, 970 Art Works grants, totaling $25,981,000, are to be awarded to organizations across the country.
122 TCG Member Theatres collectively received 123 awards totaling $3,102,500 in these categories: Theater and Musical Theater, Arts Education, and Presenting and Multidisciplinary Works (all disciplines encompassed by Art Works), as well as Art Works: Creativity Connects and Challenge America.
Please click here for a list of all TCG Member Theatres that received NEA grants in this round.
Complete lists of all awardees—as well as more detailed information about Art Works, Creativity Connects, and Challenge America grants—can be found on the NEA website, along with a timetable of upcoming grant application deadlines.
The Hill Reports on NEA Funding
Posted January 20, 2017
Yesterday, The Hill reported that President-elect Trump’s budget blueprint would eliminate funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and privatize the Corporation for Public Broadcasting with the goal of reducing federal spending by trillions over the next decade. The budget blueprint itself has not yet been produced and would be a non-binding document. We are at the very beginning of the federal appropriations process. We do not expect the President’s budget to be released until April. The House and Senate will each soon begin work on the annual appropriations process. Each chamber must pass its own spending bills and then come to agreement on spending for the year before sending bills to the president to be signed into law. Fortunately, there is a solid foundation of bipartisan arts advocacy and support over the years.
So what can you do?
Now is the time for you as an arts leader to be in contact with your elected officials to build on that foundation. You are urged to communicate the value of the work of your theatre in your community and the importance of direct NEA grants, as well as grants through state arts councils. Whether your Members of Congress are new or returning, please take a few minutes to build or strengthen your relationship now. You can find contact information here. We will need to mobilize strong support for the NEA in the months to come. For now, please focus on relationship-building and communicating value! Please click here for additional information.
Federal Judge Halts New Overtime Rules
Posted November 23, 2016
New overtime regulations scheduled to go into effect December 1 were temporarily halted on November 22 as a federal judge in Texas imposed a nationwide injunction.
The delay buys time for further legal consideration of the regulations, and court action could stretch beyond the January 20 inauguration of the Trump Administration and the beginning of a new Congress. President-Elect Trump has been sharply critical of the new rules, and the Republican majority leadership in Congress has supported slowing their implementation. If court consideration extends beyond January 20, it is likely that Congress may act to undo the new rules.
According to Judge Amos Mazzant of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, “A preliminary injunction preserves the status quo while the court determines the department’s authority to make the final rule as well as the final rule’s validity.”
Many theatres and other nonprofit employers have already put employee compensation changes in place, with just eight days left before the new rules were to take effect. The Society for Human Resource Management points out that while employers are now permitted to maintain their current compliance with overtime rules, it may be difficult to back-track on upcoming salary adjustments that were already communicated to employees.
The National Council of Nonprofits has just posted a helpful update.
TCG will keep you posted as further information becomes available.
Advocacy Matters! Updates on Protections for Wireless Microphones
Posted September 14, 2016
On Thursday, June 23, 2016, Theatre Communications Group led state delegations on Capitol Hill visits to advocate on behalf of the U.S. not-for-profit theatre field as part of TCG's National Conference: Theatre Nation. One delegation had the opportunity to meet with Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and discuss issues including protection for wireless microphones and devices used in theatres. Leader Pelosi sent this encouraging letter after that meeting.
Also during the National Conference, our Oregon delegation, including representatives from TCG Member Theatre Oregon Shakespeare Festival, spoke with Representative Greg Walden (OR-02), who chairs the Communications and Technology Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee. In late July, TCG and Oregon Shakespeare Festival received the following message from one of Representative Walden's legislative assistants:
"I wanted to share with you the below clip from the Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing that Rep. Walden chaired last week with the five FCC Commissioners in attendance. Per our meeting a few weeks back, Greg raised the wireless microphone issue directly with them, citing the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and how this would affect you.... He’s continuing to work on this issue with other members of the committee, and we’ll keep you posted on any further actions and progress! Don’t hesitate to let me know any questions and feel free to share this with anyone else at our meeting who might be interested in this!"
Representative Walden and Representative Anna Eshoo, Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, also sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, urging the FCC to "provide relief" to users of fewer than 50 wireless microphones, the threshold below which interference protection through registration in a geolocation database would be unavailable under the new rules. On October 14, 2016, Chairman Wheeler responded, noting that "the Commission currently is considering a petition requesting Commission action to enable such smaller performing arts organizations to register in the TV white spaces databases and operate wireless microphones on vacant TV channels protected from interference. Commission staff are actively reviewing this petition."
TCG Hosts Webinar on Updates to FLSA Overtime Regulations
Posted August 23, 2016
On Monday, August 22, 2016, Theatre Communications Group hosted a webinar featuring Burton J. Fishman, Attorney, Fortney & Scott, LLC, who spoke and responded to questions about the upcoming changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime regulations, which will take effect on December 1, 2016. Nearly 160 staff members of TCG Member Theatres participated in the approximately 100-minute webinar, which was recorded and is available for viewing here. You may also download the webinar slides as a PowerPoint file. Additional resources regarding the FLSA and the new overtime regulations are provided below.
NEA Announces Second Round of Grants for FY 2016
Posted June 2016
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will award $82,357,050 in grants to fund 1,148 projects in the second major grant announcement of its 50th anniversary. In this round, 1,002 Art Works grants, totaling $26,019,500, are to be awarded to organizations across the country.
59 TCG Member Theatres collectively received 61 awards totaling $1,468,000 in these categories: Theater and Musical Theater, Arts Education, Presenting and Multidisciplinary Works, Media Arts, and Dance (all disciplines encompassed by Art Works), as well as Our Town.
Please click here for a list of all TCG Member Theatres that received NEA grants in this round.
Complete lists of all awardees and more detailed information about Art Works and Our Town can be found on the NEA website, along with a timetable of upcoming grant application deadlines.
New Overtime Rules Go into Effect on December 1!
Posted May 2016
The Obama administration has finalized new rules increasing the number of workers eligible to receive overtime compensation. The new requirements will take effect on December 1, 2016, and will raise the threshold for overtime compensation from $455 a week ($23,660 per year) to $913 a week ($47,476 per year). In response to questions and concerns raised by the nonprofit community regarding the original draft proposal, the Department of Labor has provided nonprofit-specific information in addition to general resources:
The National Council of Nonprofits provides a very helpful overview: National Council of Nonprofits Analysis
Overtime Explained in Two-Part Free Online Learning Event
Is your theatre currently in compliance with overtime rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act? How will you adapt when the proposed new federal overtime rules are finalized? Independent Sector is presenting a two-part webinar series free of charge to help nonprofit organizations come up to speed on the current rules and prepare for future changes. Officials from the U.S. Department of Labor will explain the current rules for compliance with overtime requirements in the first webinar, and nonprofit experts will discuss potential plans for how to adapt when the thresholds for those subject to overtime double on December 1, 2016. Part 1, Current Compliance - Tuesday, May 24, 1:00–2:00pm ET Part 2, Adapting to New Rules - Tuesday, May 31, 1:00–2:30pm ET Click here to register for the webinars.
Secretary King Acknowledges the Arts in a Well-Rounded Education
Posted May 2016
In a recent address at Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, U.S. Department of Education Secretary John King spoke about the importance of the arts in a well-rounded education:
“States must commit to providing the resources to every district that are necessary to provide students with a well-rounded education. Arts instruction, science labs, and school counselors – just to cite a few examples – are not luxuries or extras...they are essential–essential to a quality education.”
Read the full speech here.
New Net Neutrality Challenge in the House
Posted May 2016
While we await the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision on net neutrality after hearing oral arguments last December, House Republicans have taken action to halt the FCC’s authority to impose parts of the rules, and the House passed the “No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act” (H.R. 2666).
The bill enforces FCC Chairman Wheeler’s pledge that the agency would not use its 2015 Open Internet Order to regulate Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) rates. Passing a bill into law would codify this pledge for future administrations. That Order did not, however, define “rate regulation,” this lack of definition came into question at a February markup of the bill in the Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology subcommittee. Without definition, there would be no way to tell if the FCC were acting within its authority when addressing ISPs. H.R. 2666 defines “rate regulation” as “the use of rulemaking or authority to establish, declare, or review the reasonableness of the amount charged by an ISP for delivering Internet service.”
Wheeler has expressed concern that the bill would actually hinder the agency from enforcing other net neutrality rules, such as those banning ISPs from blocking or throttling lawful content. Any FCC actions to enforce these bans could be misconstrued as rate regulation. The bill states directly that it does not affect the FCC’s authority to ban paid prioritization (also called internet “fast lanes”). President Obama has threatened to veto the bill should it also pass the Senate. In an official statement issued earlier this month, he states that the bill is “overly broad” and would “restrict the FCC’s ability to take enforcement actions to protect consumers on issues where the FCC has received numerous consumer complaints.”
Apply to Administer State Department Cultural Exchange Programs
Posted May 2016
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the State Department is inviting proposals from public and private U.S. organizations to administer three international exchange programs: Hip Hop Collaboration and Community Arts Incubation Creative Arts Exchange programs (CAE), and Arts Envoy. CAE initiatives are arts-based people-to-people international exchanges that support and further U.S. Department of State foreign policy objectives. The Hip Hop Collaboration program will engage hip hop artists for artistic collaboration, entrepreneurial skills-building, and outreach to youth to explore and address conflict resolution strategies. The Community Arts Incubation program will send approximately six to eight American artists abroad to collaborate with local youth and under-served populations on community-based art projects in new media and/or digital arts. Applicants must be U.S. non-profit arts and educational organizations. Apply here by Thursday, May 26, 2016.
The Arts Envoy exchange program annually enables approximately 200 Ame