[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 16, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1571-S1572]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mrs. Blackburn):
  S. 752. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide 
for an election to expense certain qualified sound recording costs 
otherwise chargeable to capital account; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the 
``Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act,'' which Senator Blackburn 
and I introduced today. Representatives Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and Ron 
Estes (R-KS) have introduced companion legislation in the House of 
Representatives.
  Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have consistently heard 
from independent musicians and producers in California who have lost a 
large percentage of their incomes due to concerts, festivals, and other 
events being cancelled.
  With many live performance stages and venues across the Nation closed 
for months as a result of the pandemic, independent musicians and music 
makers such as technicians and creators have suffered significant loss 
of income.
  According to a survey by the Copyright Alliance, 88 percent of 
creators have lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic, which is 
more than double the national average. Approximately half of survey 
respondents had lost 90 percent or more of their income.
  Our bill would provide some relief to music creators by allowing 
independent musicians, technicians, and music producers to deduct the 
cost of producing new musical recordings, putting them on a level 
playing field with other arts productions.
  The U.S. Tax Code allows film, television, and theater productions to 
fully deduct production expenses in the year they are incurred.

[[Page S1572]]

  However, recording artists are not given the same treatment, and are 
forced instead to amortize their production expenses over a number of 
years.
  The HITS Act would allow qualified sound recording producers to 
deduct 100% of recording production expenses--up to $150,000--in the 
year they are incurred, rather than in later years.
  Because this change would simply accelerate a tax deduction that 
already exists, the bill's expected cost would be minimal.
  In addition, because the deduction would be capped at $150,000 per 
production, our legislation would benefit smaller, independent 
musicians and music producers rather than large companies.
  The coronavirus pandemic has had a dramatic impact on music creators 
around the Nation. Our bill would help create parity between musical 
creators and other creative producers, stimulate the economy, and get 
music makers back to work.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this bill. Thank you, 
Mr. President, and I yield the floor.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. THUNE (for himself, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Portman, Ms. 
        Baldwin, Mrs. Capito, and Mr. Cardin):
  S. 773. A bill to enable certain hospitals that were participating in 
or applied for the drug discount program under section 340B of the 
Public Health Service Act prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency 
to temporarily maintain eligibility for such program, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 773

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY EXCEPTION FOR THE DRUG DISCOUNT 
                   PROGRAM DUE TO THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH 
                   EMERGENCY.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, a hospital described in subsection (b) that, for an 
     applicable calendar quarter, otherwise meets the requirements 
     for being a covered entity under subparagraph (L), (M), or 
     (O) of subsection (a)(4) of section 340B of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 256b) and is in compliance with all 
     other requirements of the program under such section, but 
     that, for such calendar quarter, does not meet the applicable 
     requirement for the disproportionate share adjustment 
     percentage described in subsection (c), shall be deemed a 
     covered entity under such respective subparagraph for such 
     applicable calendar quarter.
       (b) Hospitals.--A hospital described in this subsection 
     is--
       (1) an entity that, on the day before the first day of the 
     COVID-19 public health emergency, was a covered entity 
     described in subparagraph (L), (M), or (O) of subsection 
     (a)(4) of section 340B of the Public Health Service Act 
     participating in the drug discount program under such 
     section; or
       (2) an entity that--
       (A) prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency, 
     submitted an application for participation in such program as 
     a covered entity described in subparagraph (L), (M), or (O) 
     of section 340B(a)(4) of the Public Health Service Act;
       (B) prior to or during such emergency, was approved for 
     such participation; and
       (C) during such emergency, began participating in such 
     program.
       (c) Applicable Requirement for Disproportionate Share 
     Adjustment Percentage.--The applicable requirement for the 
     disproportionate share adjustment percentage described in 
     this subsection is--
       (1) in the case of a hospital described in subsection (a) 
     that otherwise meets the requirements under subparagraph (L) 
     or (M) of section 340B(a)(4) of the Public Health Service 
     Act, the requirement under subparagraph (L)(ii) of such 
     section; and
       (2) in the case of a hospital described in subsection (a) 
     that otherwise meets the requirements under subparagraph (O) 
     of such section 340B(a)(4), the requirement with respect to 
     the disproportionate share adjustment percentage described in 
     such subparagraph (O).
       (d) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Applicable calendar quarter.--The term ``applicable 
     calendar quarter'' means a calendar quarter for which 
     eligibility for the drug discount program under section 340B 
     of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 256b) is based on 
     a cost reporting period for which the COVID-19 public health 
     emergency is in effect for all or part of such cost reporting 
     period.
       (2) Covered entity.--The term ``covered entity'' has the 
     meaning given such term in section 340B(a)(4) of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 256b(a)(4)).
       (3) COVID-19 public health emergency.--The term ``COVID-19 
     public health emergency'' means the public health emergency 
     declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under 
     section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) 
     on January 31, 2020, with respect to COVID-19.

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