Reps. Smucker and Carter introduce the MUSIC Act

Washington, DC – Representative Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11) and Representative Troy Carter (D-LA-02) are announcing the introduction of the MUSIC Act, legislation that will aid entertainment companies and workers left out of the Save Our Stages (SOS) Act.

Lancaster County is home to several live events companies that play a critical role in fabricating and producing entertainment experiences for artists and theaters nationwide. These companies employ hundreds of hardworking, talented Pennsylvanians. As the pandemic pressed pause on many live events, service and support companies have struggled to stay in business. Without live events, thousands of workers have no work. The SOS Act provided a lifeline to venue operators but failed to include the companies that serve as the backbone to event production.

The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program has billions in leftover funding that could help preserve service and support companies while keeping thousands employed in good-paying jobs. Passing the MUSIC Act is a commonsense bipartisan fix to support an industry that is currently on life support and does not spend any additional taxpayer dollars. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Catherine Cortez Masto have introduced similar legislation in the United States Senate.

"The live event industry faced significant challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. While I was thankful that the SVOG program was able to support many struggling companies, I was disappointed to learn that critical live events production companies were ineligible to access these critical support programs. I appreciate my colleague Rep. Troy Carter for working with me to advance this important bipartisan legislation to help support good-paying middle-class jobs in my district and across the country," said Rep. Lloyd Smucker.

"In my home state of Louisiana, the live entertainment industry is a critical sector to our economy, but it needs a jumpstart," said Congressman Carter. "The MUSIC Act will help struggling companies and staff in the entertainment industry get back on their feet following the chaos that the coronavirus brought to the industry. This bipartisan legislation bridges the gap for businesses that were not eligible for previous relief programs and is a commonsense step to light the path toward recovery."

"We strongly support the MUSIC Act, which is a critical fix to Save our Stages and a lifeline that will ensure the viability of the live performance industry and all the dedicated professionals who work behind the scenes to make these performances - from Broadway to Rock n' Roll - possible, said Eric Grossman, Chief Business Officer at Lititz, PA-based TAIT Towers. "We are the carpenters, welders, painters, engineers, and fabricators who build the amazing live events that the world has missed during COVID. Having been left out of federal relief efforts to date, our workers and their families continue to face uncertainty due to the devastating and ongoing impacts of the pandemic on live events. We are grateful for the partnership of Rep. Smucker and Rep. Carter and hope that Congress will enact this common sense legislation that extends a critical lifeline to our industry."

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