I 
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 facili-
ties 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 Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Capital, Repairs, and 
Employment for Art Talent to Improve Visibility Every-
where 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 Develop-
ment 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 Econ-
omy Revitalization and Workforce Development Program’, 
under which the Secretary awards grants to eligible enti-
ties, 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, exhibi-
tions, 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 ex-
penditure by the eligible entity for a period of 5 
years from the date on which the grant is disbursed 
to such entity. 
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‘‘(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, exhi-
bitions, 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 commit-
ment from the eligible entity to provide full-time, 
gainful employment to professional performers, writ-
ers, 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 ex-
isting facility housing arts productions, projects, per-
formances, exhibitions, workshops, or programs. A 
grant under this paragraph shall be in an amount 
that is not more than $3,000,000, shall be accom-
panied by a commitment from the eligible entity to 
provide gainful employment to professional per-
formers and related or supporting professional per-
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sonnel during and upon completion of the grant pe-
riod 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 eli-
gible entity may not receive more than 1 grant under sub-
section (a). 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—To be considered for a grant 
under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an appli-
cation 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, includ-
ing, as applicable— 
‘‘(A) examples of productions, projects, 
performances, exhibitions, workshops, or pro-
grams that may be— 
‘‘(i) housed at a facility supported by 
the grant; or 
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‘‘(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 or-
ganization 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 de-
scribing how the eligible entity will continue to oper-
ate 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, art-
ists, and related or supporting professional per-
sonnel. 
‘‘(9) An attestation that the eligible entity will 
not abrogate existing collective bargaining agree-
ments for the entire duration of the grant period. 
‘‘(10) An attestation that the eligible entity re-
ceiving a grant will abide by the labor standards of 
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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 re-
ceiving a grant will provide or facilitate gainful em-
ployment 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 sec-
tion, 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 commu-
nity with limited access to high-quality arts produc-
tions, projects, performances, exhibitions, or pro-
grams, which may be indicated by— 
‘‘(A) the community having 1 or fewer fa-
cilities for hosting arts programming; 
‘‘(B) the presence of an arts facility in the 
community that is in state of disrepair, a phys-
ical state that is not conducive to regularly host 
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upgrades necessary for fully accessible work-
places for professional performers and related 
or supporting professional personnel with dis-
abilities; or 
‘‘(C) the presence of an arts facility in the 
community that has canceled, paused, or re-
duced the length of a production season during 
any of the 3 years preceding the grant applica-
tion. 
‘‘(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 cul-
turally diverse populations who are considered eth-
nic, 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 insuf-
ficient 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 
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produce arts productions, projects, performances, ex-
hibitions, or programs that, if applicable, provide in-
sight and perspective on current or historical events 
or local or regional economic issues. 
‘‘(5) The eligible entity is not a recipient of an-
other 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 per-
formers and other related or supporting professional 
personnel. 
‘‘(7) The eligible entity is located in a rural 
community. 
‘‘(8) The eligible entity provides individual art-
ists and groups of artists with the opportunity to 
display or produce projects, performances, exhibi-
tions, 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 en-
tity that receives a grant under this section may use the 
grant only to supplement, and not to supplant, funds made 
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available from non-Federal sources to carry out the activi-
ties supported by such grant. 
‘‘(f) ACCOUNTABILITY.—The Secretary shall regu-
larly 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 Sec-
retary 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 
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‘‘(B) The effects, in the immediate term 
and over the remaining period of the grant, of 
the activities supported by the grant with re-
spect 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 per-
formers and related or supporting profes-
sional 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 sup-
porting professional personnel; 
‘‘(ii) improve an existing facility’s 
ability to host or produce high-quality arts 
productions, projects, performances, exhibi-
tions, or programs; 
‘‘(iii) contribute to the construction or 
acquisition of a facility to host or produce 
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high-quality arts productions, projects, per-
formances, 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 eth-
nic, cultural, religious, or linguistic minori-
ties and whose art is underrepresented in 
popular culture; and 
‘‘(v) improve access to arts produc-
tions, projects, performances, exhibitions, 
or programs for artists with disabilities 
and other people with disabilities or to im-
prove an eligible entity’s ability to employ 
professional performers and related or sup-
porting professional personnel with disabil-
ities. 
‘‘(2) PUBLIC
AVAILABILITY.—Not later than 
180 days after receiving a report under paragraph 
(1), the Secretary shall make the report available on 
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‘‘(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 en-
tity’ 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 ex-
empt 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 sec-
tion 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of 
such Code that— 
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‘‘(A) produces live choral, dance, musical, 
theatrical, operatic, orchestral, symphonic, or 
variety performances; 
‘‘(B) compensates all professional per-
formers and related or supporting professional 
personnel at no less than the prevailing min-
imum 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 Rela-
tions 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. 
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‘‘(6) RELATED OR SUPPORTING PROFESSIONAL 
PERSONNEL.—The term ‘related or supporting pro-
fessional personnel’ means any staff member at an 
eligible entity that performs specialized work to 
produce arts productions, projects, performances, ex-
hibitions, 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 appro-
priated under paragraph for each fiscal year, the 
Secretary— 
‘‘(A) shall reserve up to 25 percent to 
make grants under this section to eligible enti-
ties located in rural communities; and 
‘‘(B) may reserve— 
‘‘(i) not more than 30 percent to pro-
vide 
Maintenance 
and 
Improvement 
Grants; 
‘‘(ii) not more than 1 percent to pro-
vide technical assistance to eligible entities 
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that are receiving grants under this sec-
tion; and 
‘‘(ii) not more than 0.5 percent to en-
sure the Economic Development Adminis-
tration 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)).’’. 
Æ 
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