I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7918 
To direct the Secretary of Labor to award grants to emerging artists to 
support their early development. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 10, 2024 
Mr. FROST (for himself, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. CASAR, and Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Labor to award grants to 
emerging artists to support their early development. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cultivating Resources 
for Emerging Artists to Thrive and Excel in Art Act’’ or 
the ‘‘CREATE Art Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF EMERGING ARTISTS GRANT 
PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap-
propriations, the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with 
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the Committee established under section 3, may award the 
grants described in subsection (b), on a competitive basis, 
to emerging artists. 
(b) DESCRIPTION OF GRANTS.— 
(1) PROGRESS GRANT.—Grants not to exceed 
$2,000 per grant may be awarded under this Act to 
eligible emerging artists for allowable costs to sup-
port a year of artist activities such as recording, 
touring, showcasing, video production, and mar-
keting. 
(2) PROJECT GRANT.—Grants may be awarded 
under this Act to eligible emerging artists not to ex-
ceed $100,000 per proposed project, covering allow-
able costs incurred within 24 months after the date 
of initial grant application. 
(3) LIVE PERFORMANCE GRANT.—Grants not 
to exceed $35,000 may be awarded under this Act 
to emerging artists for live performances, as long 
as— 
(A) not more than $20,000 per grant is 
expended for live performance domestic touring; 
and 
(B) any emerging artist receiving such 
grant has a current release or an upcoming re-
lease. 
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(4) DEVELOPMENT FUND.—Grants not to ex-
ceed $10,000 may be awarded under this Act to 
emerging artists to pay for working and living ex-
penses while researching, write, or cultivating stories 
and projects. 
(c) GRANT REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS; GRANT RE-
CIPIENTS.— 
(A) ARTISTS, 
PRODUCERS, 
AND
PUB-
LISHERS.—An artist manager, producer, or 
publisher may fill out the grant application on 
behalf of an emerging artist under this Act, as 
long as— 
(i) the artist is the named applicant 
and incurs the related costs directly; and 
(ii) such costs are not incurred by the 
manager, producer, or publisher and then 
charged back to the artist. 
(B) RECORD LABELS.—Record labels may 
not receive a grant under this Act. Artists 
signed to a record label may apply, but the art-
ist shall incur the related costs directly. Such 
costs may not be incurred by the record label 
and then charged back to the artist. 
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(C) APPLICANTS WHO ARE MINORS.—Ap-
plicants under 18 years of age shall submit a 
signed parent or legal guardian consent form 
with the grant application. 
(2) USES
OF
FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of this Act, any grant awarded under 
this Act may be used only to pay allowable costs in-
curred for the purchase of goods and services re-
ceived in the United States by the grantee that are 
provided by citizens of the United States or by enti-
ties owned or controlled by citizens of the United 
States. 
(3) LABOR PROTECTIONS.— 
(A) PROHIBITION.—An individual grant 
recipient may not utilize grant awards to sub-
sidize paid or unpaid work for professional per-
formers and related or supporting professional 
personnel employed on projects or productions 
which are financed in whole or in part under 
this section. 
(B) PREVAILING WAGES, AND SAFE WORK-
ING CONDITIONS.—It shall be a condition of the 
receipt of any grant under this Act that the re-
cipient of such grant shall furnish assurances to 
the Secretary of Labor, consistent with the re-
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quirements of section 5(m) of the National 
Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 954(m)), that— 
(i) professional performers and related 
or supporting professional personnel em-
ployed on projects or productions which 
are financed in whole or in part under this 
section— 
(I) will be paid, without subse-
quent deduction or rebate on any ac-
count, not less than the minimum 
compensation as determined by the 
Secretary of Labor to be the pre-
vailing minimum compensation for 
persons employed in similar activities; 
and 
(II) will be able to maintain any 
existing collective bargaining agree-
ment for the term of the grant and 2 
years after such term ends; and 
(ii) no part of any project or produc-
tion which is financed in whole or in part 
under this section— 
(I) will be performed or engaged 
in under working conditions which are 
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unsanitary or hazardous or dangerous 
to the health and safety of the em-
ployees engaged in such project or 
production; or 
(II) will be used to engage in any 
activity that is subject to reporting re-
quirements set forth in section 203(a) 
of the Labor-Management Reporting 
and Disclosure Act of 1959 (29 
U.S.C. 433(a)) for the term of the 
grant, project, or tour (whichever is 
longest). 
(4) PROHIBITION ON DISCRIMINATION AGAINST 
CERTAIN NONCITIZENS.—Participation in programs 
and activities or receiving funds under this Act shall 
be available to citizens and nationals of the United 
States, lawfully admitted permanent resident aliens, 
refugees, asylees, and parolees, and other immi-
grants authorized by the Attorney General to work 
in the United States. 
SEC. 3. DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE FOR EMERGING ART-
IST GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall 
establish a Development Committee for Emerging Artist 
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Grant Program to provide consultation to the Secretary 
of Labor on the development and implementation of the 
grant programs under section 2, including to evaluate 
grant applications. 
(b) COMPOSITION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Committee shall be 
composed of— 
(A) 4 representatives of the arts industry 
(such as music producers, gallery owners or op-
erators, or a production company for a theater); 
(B) 4 labor representatives in the arts in-
dustry; and 
(C) 4 emerging artists. 
(2) TERMS OF SERVICE.—Each member of the 
Commission shall serve a 6-year term. 
(c) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Committee 
shall receive compensation for their service on the Com-
mittee. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ALLOWABLE COSTS.—The term ‘‘allowable 
costs’’ means any costs associated with developing, 
producing, and performing art, including costs asso-
ciated with reserving space, studio time, third-party 
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personnel costs, third-party production costs, and 
marketing. 
(2) EMERGING ARTIST.—The term ‘‘emerging 
artist’’ means an artist who— 
(A) has individually earned, from the art 
of such artist, less than $50,000 in net earn-
ings during the previous 5 years and not more 
than $400,000 in net earnings during the pre-
vious 20 years; 
(B) has evidence of regular creative prac-
tice; 
(C) produces or presents projects or pro-
grams that are relevant to the community and 
accessible to the public; and 
(D) meets any other requirements of the 
Secretary of Labor for purposes of this Act. 
(3) PROJECT.—The term ‘‘project’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 3 of the National 
Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 952). 
Æ 
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