Friday, March 26
Subcommittee Appropriations Recommendations
Next Steps
URGENT Bed Tax Issue Call to Fast Action
Dear Arts Advocates;

Below is the summary of appropriations recommendations as of today. The Senate Subcommittee released their numbers Wednesday afternoon and the House Subcommittee on Thursday morning.

As I relayed to you on Monday's advocacy call (linked here), our lobbyists told us it wasn't going to be pretty. However, given that warning and the extreme caution with which leaders are moving, this is a strong enough place to start and it's very clear to see where we may already begin sending thanks you letters, requests to protect and requests to raise funding.

I have highlighted in green, the strongest numbers.
We need to: Target the Full Appropriations Committee in both Chambers
  1. Encourage our delegates to use the Senate's recommendation as a base to negotiate increasing funding for Culture and Museum Grants.
  2. Ask delegates to meet the House's recommendation of Culture Builds Florida Grants. (it's a $45,000 difference and will pick up the remaining two grants on the list)
  3. Ask delegates to revisit Cultural Facilities. There are 47 well vetted projects that bring with them, not only matches, but also construction jobs and all that come along with a major capitol project.
  4. Thank the subcommittee members for their work. Let them know you appreciate the task they faced. Encourage them to continue to have meaningful conversations with Full Appropriations Committee members about the arts and cultural offerings that make their district remarkable.

It's time to be EXTRA!
Apparently tomorrow, March 27, is WORLD Theatre Day. It's time to be EXTRA. Use tomorrow to rally the cool kids and then lets start another social media campaign for the arts in Florida.
URGENT: I was asked in a conference call yesterday, "What should we do about the bed tax bill?"

What is HB 1429 / SB 2008 entitled Tourist and Convention Development Taxes? It is a bill "...authorizing convention development taxes to finance flood mitigation projects or improvements; authorizing certain counties to impose a specified district convention development tax to finance flood mitigation projects or improvements"
If you receive funding from your TDC / CVB....
and availability of funds from bed tax revenue is of direct import to you, Destinations Florida has asked you to use the tools linked in this document to come alongside them to prevent to passage of HB1429/SB2008.
On Fridays (excluding holidays) from 11:00a to 12:00p EDT, join Nina Ozlu Tunceli with the Americans for the Arts Action Fund to get answers to your most pressing questions about navigating the CARES Act relief programs. Click this title/header to access meeting link.
UPDATE: Legislation Benefiting our Industry

Nonprofit Taxation / Nonprofit Property Tax Exemption
In the Senate: SB 1214 (Gruters)       
Committee Referrals:
Community Affairs (CA) Passed 3.10.21
Finance and Tax (FT) Passed 3.25.21
Appropriations (AP) TBD   
IN the House: HB 889  (Borrero)
Committee Referrals:
Local Administration & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee: passed 03/23/21 w/ Committee Substitute (final action)
Ways & Means Committee: TDD
State Affairs Committee: TBD

Arts Education Updates:
The ACE (Arts for a Complete Education)
In the Senate: LFIR 1032 (Gruters) (LIFR means Local Initiative Funding Request)
In the House: HB 3285 (McFarland)
Committee Referrals:
PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee: TBD
Appropriations Committee:TBD

Seal of Fine Arts
In the Senate: SB 1740 (Rouson)
Commitee referrals:
Education (ED): on 3.30.21 agenda
Approps Subcommittee on Ed(AED): TBD
Appropriations (AP):TBD

In the House: HB 1375 (Diamond)
House Referrals
2ndary Ed & Career Dev Subcommittee: TBD
PreK-12 Approps Subcommittee: TBD
Ed & Employment Committee: TBD

Arts and Second Language
In the Senate: LFIR 1655 (Bracy) (LIFR means Local Initiative Funding Request)
In the House: HB 2051 (Morales)
House Referrals
PreK-12 Approps Subcom: Favorable 3/17/21
Appropriations Committee: TBD
UPDATE: Legislation Potentially Negatively Impacting our Industry
Applications for 2022-2023 General Program Support, Specific Cultural Project, Cultural Facilities and Cultural Endowments will be accepted April 1, 2021 - June 1, 2021 on DOSGrants.com. Click HERE for more information about our grant programs. Guidelines will be available no later than April 1, 2021.

HOW TO APPLY WEBINARS
How to Apply for Cultural Facilities Grants
How to Apply for General Program Support and Specific Cultural Project Grants
RUBRIC CRITERIA SERIES
The GPS/SCP Application Criteria Webinar Series provides insight into each of the three judging criteria panelists use to score applications.
Quality of Offerings
Impact Part I
Impact Part II: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access
Track Record
National Arts Action Summit : April 4-9, 2021
Still considering whether or not you should attend the virtual 2021 National Arts Action Summit, the largest national arts advocacy collaboration? Here are five reasons why you should register today:
  1. Thanks to the continued commitment from this year's organizational partners—and in response to the financial challenges that many are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic—unlimited opportunities for full registration support are now available. This waives the registration fee for anyone who would otherwise be unable to participate in the 2021 National Arts Action Summit. Learn more here!
  2. We've just posted our exciting agenda full of virtual mainstage and training sessions sure to invigorate your arts policy and advocacy knowledge. Check out the agenda and start to plan which sessions you want to attend live! 
  3. State Captains are scheduling meetings with members of Congress for Arts Advocacy Week (April 12-16) where advocates will take the knowledge and data they learned at the National Arts Action Summit and put it into practice with elected officials. Learn who your State Captain is and connect with them now!
  4. Not able to attend these virtual sessions live? Don't worry! All sessions will be recorded and will be available to registrants to watch on demand within 24 hours. You'll have access to over a dozen arts policy and advocacy sessions to watch anytime.
  5. Your voice is critical to advancing the arts and creative economy in America. The arts and culture sector remains in crisis and we need everyone at the table to make a difference. Make sure your community is represented!
Learn compelling up-to-the-minute data, the latest in arts policy, and how to effectively engage decisionmakers to support the arts, arts education, the creative economy, and much, much more! 
Join us at the 2021 National Arts Action Summit!
Thank you all for all you do!