25-26 LEGISLATION

In California, the deadline for introducing new bills for the 2025 legislative session was February 21, 2025. Over 2000 bills have been introduced. Some are just placeholders with language to come. While we need more time to review all the bills introduced, here are the ones we are tracking. As the session progresses, we will have a variety of ways for you to engage and take action to ensure your voices are heard during the legislative process.

SPONSORING:

CA Arts Advocates (CAA) and League of CA Cities are co-sponsoring a bill authored by Senator Angelique Ashby of Sacramento. SB 456 creates a necessary exemption for muralists, allowing them to engage in commissioned work for public and private art without obtaining a license from the Contractors State License Board (CSLB). This bill will remove barriers for muralists to work in California.

SUPPORT:

 We are also excited to see ticketing legislation reintroduced with a primary focus on artist and consumer protections. AB 1349 Consumer Protection; Ticket Sellers authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan and co-sponsored by NIVA CA and Music Artists Coalition.

 There are several companion bills regarding updates to the Film/TV tax credit we are following including SB 630/AB-1138 Income and corporate taxes: tax credits: motion pictures and SB756/AB1377 Corporation Tax Law: credit: motion picture.

TRACKING:

AB 342 (Haney) Alcoholic beverages: hours of sale SB-370 (Ashby) Music festivals

Housing bills SB-417 The Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026 and AB 507 (Haney) Adaptive reuse: Streamlining incentives

Other Bills related to arts and culture include AB 408 Healing Arts

Small business: AB 265 (Caloza) Small business recovery fund act: $100 million to CAL-OSBA

Los Angeles Fires: California has also passed a set of bills to expedite $2.5 billion in “bridge funding” intended to help state and local agencies respond to relief efforts. To see the full list of bills CAA is tracking visit this link

CA BUDGET PROCESS

We will also be tracking budget committee hearings where the Governor’s January budget proposal items are heard and analyzed by the Legislature including Prop 4 Climate bond appropriations and providing public comment to ensure arts investments are included. For more information on the budget and how it impacts arts and culture visit here. 

Join the California Arts Council on Friday, February 28, starting at 10 a.m. for their next business meeting at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose - or access the meeting online. On the agenda: FY 2025-26 Programs Framework, LA Fires coordinated efforts update, and more. Offer your input during the meeting or submit in writing. Check out the agenda here.

Looking for a way to contribute to the arts community and gain valuable insight into grant making? The California Arts Council is looking for peer-review grant panelists! This is a fantastic professional development opportunity. California residents 18+ with a range of backgrounds and experience levels in the field of arts and culture are encouraged to apply. Submit by March 18! Learn more here. 

Join Application & Panel Support Specialist Yaquelin Ruiz an upcoming virtual Office Hour session on 3/12 at 12pm to learn more about the current Panel Pool application process. Learn more here. 

Creative Economy Working Group (CEW) held its third and final meeting in Sacramento last week. CA for the Arts also hosted a reception for the group and invited lawmakers to attend. The Chair of the Joint Committee on the Arts Senator Ben Allen and the Chair of the Assembly Arts committee Chris Ward both spoke as well as Senators Lola Smallwood-Cuevas and Maria Durazo. We were also welcomed to Sacramento by the new Mayor Kevin McCarty. To read about the report research and findings go here. The final strategic plan is due to the Legislature by June 30, 2025.    

⁠Photos courtesy of Alan Sheckter.

Under the leadership of Creative West and the Western Arts Advocacy Network, arts and cultural advocates from 13 Western states and 3 Pacific Jurisdictions will be convening in Washington D.C. from March 3-5, 2025 to discuss strategies on how to advance arts, culture and the creative economy across the US. CA for the Arts will be leading a 10 person delegation to meet with our Congressional representatives to share why public investment in the arts is essential for economic vitality, supporting jobs, driving tourism, and fostering innovation. 

To see the complete list of our legislative asks visit this link.

CA for the Arts is leading a 10-person delegation to Washington, D.C. under Creative West to meet with our representatives and Senators. ⁠We are teaming up with our regional partner Arts for LA and would like to hear from you on how we can best represent your concerns! Join us for this information session on the NEA and Federal issues via Zoom on February 26th from 3:00 - 4:00 pm. ⁠ Slots are limited, so register today! 

While things are changing quickly in the Federal landscape we are grateful for our colleagues at the Arts Action Fund for tracking the information and creating this helpful FAQ  Executive Orders & Their Impact On the Arts FAQ | Arts ActionFund

While everyone has to make their own choice in how to respond to the executive orders, Hundreds of Artists Ask NEA to Stop Enforcing Trump’s Anti-DEI Mandates

NEA Updates: Mary Anne Carter is President Trump's political appointee and Senior Advisor at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).  Many of you may remember Mary Anne from her tenure as NEA Chair during President Trump’s first term.

​​​​​The NEA is updating its FY 2026 grant guidelines, with deadlines in March and July 2025. These changes impact organizations applying in the Challenge America and Grants for Arts Projects categories.