HR6165-119

What This Bill Does

The CREATIVE Act adds a Creative Economy Revitalization and Workforce Development Program to the Public Works and Economic Development Act. The Commerce Secretary may award competitive grants to eligible entities to hire or compensate professional performers, artists, writers, and related or supporting personnel for productions, projects, performances, exhibitions, workshops, or programs. Those workforce grants may be up to $5 million and remain available for five years. The Secretary may also award facility grants up to $3 million to construct or acquire facilities for arts productions and programs, but those grants must be accompanied by a commitment to provide full-time gainful employment to professional performers, writers, artists, and supporting personnel when the grant period and funded projects are complete. Additional grants up to $3 million may improve, repair, or maintain existing arts facilities, with employment commitments during and after the grant period. The practical effect is to use economic development grants to keep artists and cultural workers employed and to strengthen arts infrastructure.

Who Benefits and How

Professional performers, artists, writers, and related personnel benefit from grant-funded employment and compensation. Eligible arts and cultural organizations benefit from workforce grants up to $5 million and facility grants up to $3 million. Communities with arts venues benefit from construction, acquisition, repair, maintenance, and programming support. Local creative economies benefit if grants sustain productions, exhibitions, workshops, and cultural employment.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Commerce economic development staff must administer competitive grant selection, grant periods, eligible uses, and employment commitments. Eligible entities must apply, manage federal funds, document arts employment, and satisfy grant-period requirements. Facility grant recipients must commit to full-time or gainful employment for covered arts workers. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of grants awarded through the new program.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Creative Economy Revitalization and Workforce Development Program.
• Authorizes grants up to $5 million to hire or compensate artists and supporting personnel.
• Authorizes grants up to $3 million to construct or acquire arts facilities.
• Authorizes grants up to $3 million to improve, repair, or maintain existing arts facilities.
• Requires facility-related employment commitments for professional arts workers.
• Allows grant funds to remain available for five years.