The Save Our Stages Act appeared in a new bill this week, as Democratic Senators looked to counter a proposal put forward by Senate Republicans.
The act, which would provide grants to theater owners, producers and other live events, was included in the Heroes Small Business Lifeline Act, a Senate bill introduced Tuesday that includes several small business provisions. This is the third time Save Our Stages has appeared in legislation as senators, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) continue to push for the bill.
“Our live entertainment venues are the beating hearts of every community and in need of dedicated assistance. Unfortunately, they were left behind by the Senate Republican PPP proposal,” Schumer said in a statement to Broadway News. “Democrats are committed to ensuring our local small businesses, including independent venues with live performances, get the help they need to get through this crisis and make it out the other side.”
Save Our Stages has previously appeared as a standalone bill over the summer and then as part of the revised Heroes Act, which passed the House of Representatives, but now faces an uncertain future. Schumer is a co-sponsor of the bill and has been a key proponent of the legislation.
The $370 billion Heroes Small Business Lifeline Act has expanded the funding amount for Save Our Stages to $15 billion from $10 billion, with the extra allocation covering independent movie theaters, which were not covered in the original bill.
This comes after Senate Democrats blocked the passage of Senate Republican which would have allocated $258 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program. Senate Democrats countered that the bill did not meet the needs of small businesses.
