Federal

1. Relief still hasn’t arrived. Tell your representatives what you need:

   1. ACT for Arts Relief:

      • Speak up for nonprofits. The Nonprofit Community Letter outlines urgent reforms to the CARES Act. Contact your representatives and ask them to include nonprofits in the final bill.

      • The Save Our Stages Act is still in the Senate. The bill has been expanded to include nonprofits and venues of all kinds. Check out National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) for more information. Write to your legislators to support this bill.

   2. ACT for PPP and Small Businesses:

      • The PPP Coalition is seeking to improve PPP through a few key changes to the program that will benefit all borrowers, small businesses and nonprofits, regardless of their industry. Take action.

   3. Speak up for Reparations:

      • The H.R. 40: Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act has not passed committee yet. Fill out this pre-written form, or contact Congress today!
2. Updates on Federal:
    
   1. Executive Actions: The president signed four executive orders that included a moratorium on evictions, deferring student loan debt to 2021, extending unemployment benefits at $400 a week and requiring states to cover 25%, and cutting payroll taxes. The legality of these actions is up for debate, and cutting payroll taxes will have massive consequences for social security and Medicare.
   2. PPP Loan Forgiveness: The PPP Loan Forgiveness application is now open. See SBA’s instructions for more information.

New York State

1. Budget Cuts – check on your legislators: 

   • The Fiscal Policy Institute drafted a sign-on letter for NYS legislators confirming that they will not allow state budget cuts without also approving revenue raising policies. Read the letter and confirm that your senators and Assemblymembers have signed.

2. EXTENDED Eviction Moratorium:

   • a??a??Governor Cuomo has extended the eviction moratorium to September 4, with the promise that as long as we are in a pandemic, there will be no evictions.

3. EXTENDED Unemployment:

   • a??a??Traditional Unemployment Insurance (UI) usually lasts 26 weeks, but has been extended 13 weeks through the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program (PEUC), plus 20 weeks through the Extended Benefits program (EB).
   • Pandemic Unemployment Insurance (PUI) recipients are not eligible for PEUC or EB, but PUE benefits have been extended from 39 weeks to 46 weeks.
   • Certify weekly for unemployment online or by calling 1-888-581-5812 (for UI) or 1-833-324-0366 (for PUA).

4. NYS Cultural Spaces Reopening Taskforce:

   • NYSCA is working with the Flexible Multidisciplinary Cultural Spaces Taskforce to support venue reopening. Fill out their survey to help their taskforce.

5. Updates on COVID:

   • NYS COVID-19 hospitalizations hit a new low August 9th, only 535 total. The percent of positive tests continues to hover around 1%. To maintain these low numbers, New Yorkers must continue to practice social-distancing, regular hand-washing, and wearing masks.
   • NYS Office of Mental Health’s new initiative Coping Circles is a free, volunteer-run support group for New Yorkers age 18+ affected by COVID-19. Sign up here.

New York City

1. Spread the word:

   • Join the Census Counts Coalition to get the word out about the census. Complete the Census if you have not already, and challenge your friends and family to take it too.

2. Policy and Advocacy for Artists:

   • New Yorkers for Culture & Arts is hosting a conversation with independent artists to discuss their policy and advocacy needs. Sign up here.

3. COVID-19 Testing:

   • Find a location to get tested at nyc.gov/covidtest.

Additional Resources

• Dance/NYC Coronavirus Preparedness Resources.

• Dance/NYC Racial Justice Resources 

• Join the movement: #ArtistsAreNecessaryWorkers.

• Dance/NYC hosts weekly dance field-wide calls to address our questions, needs, and plans for the future as a field. Calls occur every Thursday, 4:00 pm. – 5:00 p.m. Register!