On Monday, the Heroes Act was presented to the House of Representatives, which included the Save Our Stages Act.
The Save Our Stages Act, which is bipartisan effort, is aiming to save independent music venues and other live venues around the US with $10 billion in relief.
Audrey Fix Schaefer, communications director for National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), released the following statement:
“We’re incredibly grateful that this piece of legislation encompasses the provisions of the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act, which was sponsored in the House by Representatives Peter Welch (D-VT) and Roger Williams (R-TX) and in the Senate by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). We also thank Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) and Representative Velásquez (D-NY) for their leadership in recognizing the unique and perilous situation independent venues face since we have been shuttered for more than six months with no revenue, enormous overhead, and no foreseeable time frame until we can fully reopen across the country.
We hope our elected officials come together on COVID-19 assistance in the coming days, not weeks or even months. Our small, independent businesses, which normally contribute billions of dollars to local economies, are on the precipice of mass collapse if this critical funding doesn’t come through. We’re cautiously optimistic our elected officials understand that if they assist us now, we can be part of the economic renewal of small towns and big cities, since for every $1 spent on a concert ticket at a small venue, $12 of economic activity is generated for area businesses like restaurants, retail shops, and hotels. This investment will pay off for communities and workers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.”
(via NIVA)