[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 22 (Monday, February 8, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S703-S704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. HATCH (for himself and Mr. Leahy):
  S. 2510. A bill to encourage and facilitate international 
participation in the performing arts and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today, Senator Hatch and I are 
reintroducing the Arts Require Timely Service Act or ARTS Act. This 
bipartisan measure would assist nonprofit arts organizations in 
obtaining visas for visiting foreign artists. For many renowned artists 
abroad hoping to share their talent with American audiences, our visa 
system is often inconsistent and unreliable. Although current law 
establishes a specific processing period for artist visas, petitioners 
regularly confront prolonged and uncertain wait times. This delay and 
uncertainty carries great costs for the nonprofit organizations that 
seek to bring foreign artists to American audiences.
  While expedited visa processing is available, many of these 
organizations are unable to afford those fees, and the resulting delays 
in regular processing lead to interruptions and cancellations in 
performance schedules. Ultimately, the inefficiencies in obtaining 
foreign artist visas stifle the promotion of international cultural 
exchange and impede the mission of great American cultural 
institutions.
  The ARTS Act addresses these challenges by requiring the Secretary of 
Homeland Security to provide expedited processing services, without a 
fee, if an O- or P- artist visa is not adjudicated within a 14-day time 
frame, and the petition is filed by or on behalf of a nonprofit 
organization. The legislation ensures that nonprofit arts organizations 
do not have to choose between making adjustments to their programming 
and incurring additional unexpected costs. We should be encouraging 
international participation in the performing arts, not thwarting it. 
That is why more than 80 national organizations consisting of 
musicians, orchestras, museums, performing artists, and local arts 
organizations such as the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, support the ARTS 
Act.
  I have long been a supporter of the arts and am proud of the great 
contributions the arts community has made in my home state of Vermont. 
Organizations such as the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Vermont 
Performance Lab, and Burlington City Arts enrich our State's dynamic 
culture, are integral to our economy, and ensure that all communities 
benefit from the remarkable power of the arts. The ARTS Act 
acknowledges the

[[Page S704]]

unique challenges that nonprofit arts organizations confront with our 
visa system and would assist them in their effort to bring 
international arts and culture to our communities.

                          ____________________