[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6165 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6165
To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to
establish a grant program to increase job opportunities for artists and
creative professionals, improve the quality and availability of arts
facilities and arts-related programming, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 20, 2025
Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Carey, and Ms. Pingree)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on
Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to
establish a grant program to increase job opportunities for artists and
creative professionals, improve the quality and availability of arts
facilities and arts-related programming, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Capital, Repairs, and Employment for
Art Talent to Improve Visibility Everywhere Act of 2025'' or the
``CREATIVE Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR KEEPING ARTISTS ON THE JOB.
Title II of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965
(42 U.S.C. 3141 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 223. GRANTS FOR KEEPING ARTISTS ON THE JOB.
``(a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary shall carry out a program,
to be known as the `Creative Economy Revitalization and Workforce
Development Program', under which the Secretary awards grants to
eligible entities, on a competitive basis, as follows:
``(1) Hiring and production grants.--The Secretary may
award a grant to an eligible entity to hire or compensate
professional performers, artists, and related or supporting
professional personnel and staff for productions, projects,
performances, exhibitions, workshops, or programs. A grant
under this paragraph shall be in an amount that is not more
than $5,000,000 and shall remain available for expenditure by
the eligible entity for a period of 5 years from the date on
which the grant is disbursed to such entity.
``(2) Construction and acquisition grants.--The Secretary
may award a grant to an eligible entity to construct or acquire
a facility to house arts productions, projects, performances,
exhibitions, workshops, or programs. A grant under this
paragraph shall be in an amount that is not more than
$3,000,000, shall be accompanied by a commitment from the
eligible entity to provide full-time, gainful employment to
professional performers, writers, artists, and related or
supporting professional personnel upon completion of the grant
period and projects fully or partially funded by the grant, and
shall remain available for expenditure by the eligible entity
for a period of 5 years from the date on which the grant is
disbursed to such entity.
``(3) Maintenance and improvement grants.--The Secretary
may award a grant to an eligible entity to improve, repair, or
maintain an existing facility housing arts productions,
projects, performances, exhibitions, workshops, or programs. A
grant under this paragraph shall be in an amount that is not
more than $3,000,000, shall be accompanied by a commitment from
the eligible entity to provide gainful employment to
professional performers and related or supporting professional
personnel during and upon completion of the grant period and
projects fully or partially funded by the grant, and shall
remain available for expenditure by the eligible entity for a
period of 3 years from the date on which the grant is disbursed
to such entity.
``(b) Prohibition on Multiple Awards.--An eligible entity may not
receive more than 1 grant under subsection (a).
``(c) Application.--To be considered for a grant under this
section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such
information as the Secretary may require. At a minimum each application
shall include the following:
``(1) The type of grant for which the entity is applying
from among the grant types described in paragraphs (1) through
(3) of subsection (a).
``(2) A description of the specific purposes for which the
entity proposes to use the grant, including, as applicable--
``(A) examples of productions, projects,
performances, exhibitions, workshops, or programs that
may be--
``(i) housed at a facility supported by the
grant; or
``(ii) produced by employing professional
performers and related or supporting
professional personnel artists or staff members
supported or employed by the grant; and
``(B) the perceived benefits that such productions,
projects, performances, exhibitions, workshops, or
programs provide to professional performers and related
or supporting professional personnel, and the
communities served by the eligible entity.
``(3) A description of the level of access to arts
facilities and programming in the communities served by the
eligible entity and, if applicable, identification of any
disparities or gaps in such access.
``(4) A explanation of how the entity conducted, or intends
to conduct, outreach and acquire input from the community in
which the grant funds will be used, including input from, low-
income individuals, individuals with disabilities, and other
under-represented individuals in such community that are
underrepresented in the creative sector, as well as arts labor
organizations.
``(5) A description of any input received as a result of
the outreach under paragraph (4).
``(6) A description of the steps the board or other
appropriate overseeing body of such eligible entity has taken
to ensure that governance of the organization includes
representation from individuals described in paragraph (4).
``(7) A description of--
``(A) the level of community need for the
activities proposed to be carried out with grant funds;
and
``(B) the extent to which such activities will be
supported by additional funds from the community and
other sources.
``(8) If applicable, a comprehensive plan describing how
the eligible entity will continue to operate any facility
supported by the grant after the grant funds have been
expended, including how the eligible entity will continue
employing or facilitating employment for professional
performers, writers, artists, and related or supporting
professional personnel.
``(9) An attestation that the eligible entity will not
abrogate existing collective bargaining agreements for the
entire duration of the grant period.
``(10) An attestation that the eligible entity receiving a
grant will abide by the labor standards of professional
performers and personnel and guarantee to provide healthy and
safe working conditions under section 5(m) of the National
Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 954(m)).
``(11) An attestation that the eligible entity receiving a
grant will provide or facilitate gainful employment for
professional performers and related or supporting professional
personnel.
``(12) Any other information or assurances the Secretary
determines appropriate.
``(d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that meet 1 or more
of the following criteria (with higher priority given to eligible
entities that meet more than 1 such criteria):
``(1) The eligible entity is located in a community with
limited access to high-quality arts productions, projects,
performances, exhibitions, or programs, which may be indicated
by--
``(A) the community having 1 or fewer facilities
for hosting arts programming;
``(B) the presence of an arts facility in the
community that is in state of disrepair, a physical
state that is not conducive to regularly host arts
programming, or in need of infrastructure upgrades
necessary for fully accessible workplaces for
professional performers and related or supporting
professional personnel with disabilities; or
``(C) the presence of an arts facility in the
community that has canceled, paused, or reduced the
length of a production season during any of the 3 years
preceding the grant application.
``(2) The eligible entity proposes to use the grant to
employ professional performers and related or supporting
professional personnel and to expand arts productions,
projects, performances, exhibitions, workshops, or programs
from linguistically and culturally diverse populations who are
considered ethnic, cultural, religious, or linguistic
minorities and whose art is underrepresented in popular
culture.
``(3) The eligible entity demonstrates no-fault financial
hardship, limited support from State and local government
sources, or a level of income insufficient to self-fund the
activities for which the grant is sought.
``(4) The eligible entity proposes to use the grant to
employ professional performers and related or supporting
professional personnel and to host or produce arts productions,
projects, performances, exhibitions, or programs that, if
applicable, provide insight and perspective on current or
historical events or local or regional economic issues.
``(5) The eligible entity is not a recipient of another
grant under this title and the entity has not previously
received a grant under this title.
``(6) The eligible entity proposes to use the grant to
improve access to arts productions, projects, performances,
exhibitions, or programs for people with disabilities, or to
hire professional performers and other related or supporting
professional personnel.
``(7) The eligible entity is located in a rural community.
``(8) The eligible entity provides individual artists and
groups of artists with the opportunity to display or produce
projects, performances, exhibitions, workshops, or programs.
``(9) The eligible entity proposes to use the grant for a
purpose that furthers arts education in the community in which
such funds will be used.
``(e) Supplement, Not Supplant.--An eligible entity that receives a
grant under this section may use the grant only to supplement, and not
to supplant, funds made available from non-Federal sources to carry out
the activities supported by such grant.
``(f) Accountability.--The Secretary shall regularly review the
activities of eligible entities receiving grants under this section to
ensure that such entities are using the grant for the purposes for
which it was provided and are otherwise in compliance with the
requirements of this section.
``(g) Treatment of Unexpended Funds.--Funds received by an eligible
entity under subsection (a) that are not expended within the allowable
period specified in such subsection shall be returned to Secretary
unless the Secretary makes a written determination that the entity may
continue to expend the funds after the expiration of such period.
``(h) Reports.--
``(1) In general.--On an annual basis during each year of
the grant period, an eligible entity that receives a grant
under this section shall submit to the Secretary a report that
includes a description of the following:
``(A) How the grant funds were used in the year
covered by the report.
``(B) The effects, in the immediate term and over
the remaining period of the grant, of the activities
supported by the grant with respect to--
``(i) increasing access to arts facilities
and programming within the community served by
the eligible entity;
``(ii) reducing disparities in access to
such facilities and programming in such
communities; and
``(iii) providing or facilitating full-time
gainful employment for professional performers
and related or supporting professional
personnel.
``(C) To the extent applicable, how the grant has
or will be used to--
``(i) increase work opportunities for
professional performers and related or
supporting professional personnel;
``(ii) improve an existing facility's
ability to host or produce high-quality arts
productions, projects, performances,
exhibitions, or programs;
``(iii) contribute to the construction or
acquisition of a facility to host or produce
high-quality arts productions, projects,
performances, exhibitions, or programs, and if
acquisition or construction of such facility is
complete, how the facility has been able to
host or assist in the production of such
programming;
``(iv) support increasing the number of
high-quality arts productions, projects,
performances, exhibitions, workshops, or
programs from linguistically and culturally
diverse populations who are considered ethnic,
cultural, religious, or linguistic minorities
and whose art is underrepresented in popular
culture; and
``(v) improve access to arts productions,
projects, performances, exhibitions, or
programs for artists with disabilities and
other people with disabilities or to improve an
eligible entity's ability to employ
professional performers and related or
supporting professional personnel with
disabilities.
``(2) Public availability.--Not later than 180 days after
receiving a report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall
make the report available on a publicly accessible website of
the Economic Development Administration.
``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Arts labor organization.--The term `arts labor
organization' means an organization which is exempt from tax
under section 501(c)(5) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
``(2) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
``(A) a local arts agency;
``(B) a museum; or
``(C) any other nonprofit arts organization,
including literary arts organizations, performing arts
organizations, and professional nonprofit theaters,
that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under
section 501(a) of such Code.
``(3) Museum.--The term `museum' has the meaning given that
term in section 273(1) of the Museum Services Act (20 U.S.C.
9172(1)).
``(4) Professional nonprofit theater.--The term
`professional nonprofit theater' means a nonprofit arts
organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under
section 501(a) of such Code that--
``(A) produces live choral, dance, musical,
theatrical, operatic, orchestral, symphonic, or variety
performances;
``(B) compensates all professional performers and
related or supporting professional personnel at no less
than the prevailing minimum compensation under 20
U.S.C. 954(m);
``(C) hosts events that are produced and managed by
paid employees and not volunteers;
``(D) has a minimum of a 3-year history of
programming prior to applying for a grant under this
section;
``(E) has not violated any laws enforced by the
Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, National Labor Relations Board, or
equivalent State agencies in the 3 years prior to
applying for a grant under this section; and
``(F) is not engaged in a strike, lockout, or other
labor dispute at the time of applying for a grant under
this section.
``(5) Rural community.--The term `rural community' means a
community in an area that is not designated by the Bureau of
the Census as an urbanized area or urban cluster.
``(6) Related or supporting professional personnel.--The
term `related or supporting professional personnel' means any
staff member at an eligible entity that performs specialized
work to produce arts productions, projects, performances,
exhibitions, or programs at that entity.
``(7) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Commerce.
``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to carry out this section $700,000,000 for each of the fiscal
years 2026 through 2030.
``(2) Reservations.--From the amount appropriated under
paragraph for each fiscal year, the Secretary--
``(A) shall reserve up to 25 percent to make grants
under this section to eligible entities located in
rural communities; and
``(B) may reserve--
``(i) not more than 30 percent to provide
Maintenance and Improvement Grants;
``(ii) not more than 1 percent to provide
technical assistance to eligible entities that
are receiving grants under this section; and
``(ii) not more than 0.5 percent to ensure
the Economic Development Administration has
sufficient personnel to carry out the program
under this section.
``(3) Prohibition.--None of the funds made available by
this Act may be used for any activity that is subject to the
reporting requirements set forth in section 203(a) of the
Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (29
U.S.C. 433(a)).''.
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