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Senator Murray: “Our live entertainment venues are often the heart and soul of our local communities—this is about saving jobs as well as arts and culture. I’m going to keep pushing in the Senate to make sure we are doing everything possible to support small businesses in Washington state.”

WASHINGTON D.C.–U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) has joined the Save Our Stages Extension Act, which would extend the timeline for using Small Business Administration (SBA) Shuttered Venue Operators Grants, created by the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act, from the end of 2021 to spring of 2023.

The Save Our Stages Act was signed into law as part of the December 2020 COVID relief bill, and provided $1.25 billion in Save Our Stages grants for independent live venues, movie theaters, and cultural institutions to help them stay in business during the pandemic. Given delays from the SBA in launching this program and disbursing the grants, many venue owners are struggling to use their funding by the end of December 2021. Unless this deadline is extended, venues may be forced to return their grants to the SBA.

“This pandemic has been devastating for so many small and independent businesses across Washington state, and music venues have been hit especially hard,” said Senator Murray. “This bipartisan proposal would give these businesses more time to access badly-needed federal relief, and make sure they have enough time to actually use these federal dollars for their intended purpose to keep their doors open. Our live entertainment venues are often the heart and soul of our local communities—this is about saving jobs as well as arts and culture. I’m going to keep pushing in the Senate to make sure we are doing everything possible to support small businesses in Washington state.”

In order to support beloved music and entertainment venues in Washington state and all across the country, the Save Our Stages Act provided the Small Business Administration (SBA) with $1.25 billion for grants to independent live music venue operators affected by COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. The bill directed the SBA to make grants to eligible venues for up to $10 million, and narrowly defined independent live venue operators, promoters, and talent representatives to prevent large, international corporations from receiving federal grant funding. The bill also permitted recipients to use grants for costs incurred during the COVID pandemic, including rent, utilities, mortgage obligations, PPE procurement, payments to contractors, regular maintenance, administrative costs, taxes, operating leases, and capital expenditures related to meeting state, local, or federal social distancing guidelines.

Senator Murray has been a longtime champion for Washington state’s small businesses and helped secure the Save Our Stages Act and other small business relief in federal aid packages, including the American Rescue Plan. Earlier this year, Senator Murray met with small business owners to discuss how important small business relief provisions, including the Save Our Stages Act, were in the American Rescue Plan and other relief bills, and how vital it is that those who have received grants have enough time to use their funding.

This legislation is supported by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, Broadway Across America, Coalition of Performing Arts Centers, League of American Orchestras, League of Historic American Theatres, National Association of Theater Owners, National Independent Talent Organization, National Independent Venue Association, Performing Arts Alliance, Performing Arts Managers and Agents Coalition, Preservation Hall Foundation, The Broadway League, and Theatre Communications Group.