Kuster-Backed Legislation to Support Live Music Venues Included in Latest COVID-19 Response Package

Statement

Today, Representative Annie Kuster (NH-02) released the following statement upon the inclusion of the Save Our Stages Act in the updated Heroes Act. Kuster is a cosponsor of the Save Our Stages Act, a bipartisan, bicameral piece of legislation that would provide six months of financial support to keep independent live music venues afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Live music venues play an important role in downtowns and communities across New Hampshire and around the country. These businesses were among the first to close due to the pandemic and will likely be among the last to reopen, making it very difficult for them to survive the current health crisis.

"As a passionate supporter of the arts and someone who loves live music, I feel strongly about the need to help our independent live music venues during this difficult time," said Congresswoman Kuster. "In addition to providing general enjoyment to the public, these venues also play a meaningful role in the economic wellbeing of communities in New Hampshire and across the country. I'm proud to join my colleagues in support of this much-needed legislation, and appreciate its inclusion in the updated Heroes Act, which represents House Democrats' continued work to provide relief and support to the American people."

"Independent music venues are 'nonessential' businesses whose mission is to build and bind the community through large-scale gatherings, and COVID-19 has struck at the very heart of our work," said Joe Clifford, executive director of Lebanon Opera House. "The nature of event planning dictates that we work months, sometimes a year, in advance. We simply cannot afford to cease the planning, booking, selling, and marketing of arts events -- the very events that determine our livelihoods and allow us to deliver on our missions. We thank Congresswoman Kuster for her support of the Save Our Stages Act, which would provide much-needed funding to help live music venues like ours get through the pandemic."

The Save Our Stages Act (H.R. 7806) would:

-Authorize the appropriation of $10 billion for the Small Business Administration (SBA) run live music venue grant program.
-Narrowly define independent live venue operators, promoters, and talent representatives to prevent large, international corporations from receiving federal grant funding.
-Direct the SBA to make grants to eligible venues equal to the lesser of either 45 percent of operation costs from calendar year 2019 or $12 million.
-Allow the Small Business Administrator to issue supplemental grants in the future if funding remains available and applicants can demonstrate need.
-Permit recipients to use grants for costs incurred during the COVID pandemic.
-Require recipients to return remaining funding after one year from the date of disbursement.
-Permit recipients to use grants for rent, utilities, mortgage obligations, PPE procurement, payments to contractors, regular maintenance, administrative costs, taxes, operating leases, and capital expenditures related to meeting state, local, or federal social distancing guidelines.

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