A persuasive advocate should be up to date on the key issues affecting the opera sector.

Read the latest news on advocacy efforts prepared by OPERA America's senior manager of government affairs and civic practice — and check back for regular updates.

Review the key issues affecting opera and the arts with downloadable briefs prepared by the Cultural Action Group.

Advocacy Updates

Issued October 29, 2025

OPERA America and Chorus America Visit Congress

On Tuesday, October 21, OPERA America and Chorus America met with the offices of Representatives Don Bacon (R-NE-2), Mike Turner (R-OH-10), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), and Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1). All four are strong supporters of the arts and arts education and champion arts policies in Congress.

It is important that, even during a government shutdown, for congressional representatives to continue to hear from constituents. Please consider contacting your elected officials through their official websites or via OPERA America’s platform.

Continued Department of Education Layoffs

During the continuing government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Education has issued layoff notices to 465 employees across six of its seventeen key offices. These affected staff members include nearly all personnel involved in certain critical formula grant programs, such as Title I for low-income students and grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. On Oct. 15, a federal judge temporarily halted the layoff plan while reviewing the case challenging the staff reductions enacted during the shutdown. The Administration is expected to continue efforts to proceed with the layoffs. If the original plan is upheld, affected employees' last day of employment is scheduled for December 9. According to court documents, all staff within the Office of Well-Rounded Education and Arts Education received notices of a reduction in force.

Update Courtesy of Education Week

Important Update Regarding GoFundMe Nonprofit Page

Recently, GoFundMe - the crowdfunding platform - created on its website donation pages for 1.4 million nonprofit organizations without their knowledge or consent. The National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) raised concerns and in response, GoFundMe has issued an apology and outlined specific steps to remove the unauthorized pages, implement safeguards to prevent future harm, and rebuild trust with the nonprofit community. 

Suggested action items from CliftonLarsonAllen Law:

• Review GoFundMe presence — Search for your organization’s page on GoFundMe. • Claim or remove page — Decide whether to claim the page for branding control or request removal via the Help Center.

• Review branding — If you claim the page, review for branding (logos, social media links, and descriptions).

• Monitor SEO settings — Adjust visibility preferences after claiming the page.

• Communicate internally — Inform staff and board members about GoFundMe’s updates and your organization’s response.

• Review donation administration processes — Evaluate your internal processes for receiving web-based donations, recording in your donor database, and reconciling with your bank account to help identify incoming donations from unauthorized fundraisers in the future.

Issued October 7, 2025

National Endowment of the Arts Government Shutdown Contingency Plans

The government shutdown continues as the Senate has voted down two separate Continuing Resolutions (CRs) multiple times this week and the House is not in session. During the shutdown, each department and its agencies will operate in accordance with its contingency plan. The NEA recently released their plan and for those currently holding grants, a key item to highlight on page 5:

(2) Grants and Cooperative Agreements. In most cases, if grant or cooperative agreement funds have been obligated, and continued federal government supervision or support is not critical to the grantee’s or cooperator’s continued performance during the period, the work supported through the award may continue. The Agency's Grants Office will provide specific guidance to award recipients if a determination is made that work may not continue during the shutdown period. Awardees should not expect to receive any payments from the Agency during the shutdown period.

Artists from Abroad - Government Shutdown and Artist Visa Processing & Upgrading to PPS Changes

Following the partial shutdown of the U.S. federal government as of midnight, October 1, 2025, those engaged in the artist visa process are of course watching for even longer potential delays in procedures. Because U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services is largely fee-based, many services, including processing O and P artist visas, are expected to continue and USCIS reports that field offices are open. The U.S. Department of State has announced that consular processing of visas remains operational.  Even as basic USCIS and consular operations are expected to continue, overall staffing conditions may produce delays as the shutdown continues, so petitioners and artists should continue to navigate procedures as early as possible. 

U.S. employers should be aware that due to the shutdown, E-Verify services are unavailable. However, employers must still complete Form I-9 no later than the third business day after an employee starts work for pay, and comply with all other Form I-9 requirements.

In addition to several recent significant changes to visa processing, USCIS quietly changed the process by which a petitioner upgrades an already-filed I-129 petition for Premium Processing Service (PPS). Applicants seeking to upgrade their petition from regular processing to PPS must now send their "standalone" I-907 request to one of several designated USCIS "lockbox" locations effective immediately. More can be found at Artists from Abroad most recent news alert.

Issued September 26, 2025

Resource - Tamizdat: Preparing for Immigration Enforcement

In August 2025, Tamizdat produced a webinar with the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), designed to help performing arts and music venues in the US know how to best prepare for enforcement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.) Following the webinar, Tamizdat has prepared an infosheet Preparing for Immigration Enforcement: Keeping Music and Performing Arts Venues, Staff, Artists and Audiences Safe. This is available for viewing and downloading here.

Court Rules in Favor of Artists, Free Speech, in Case Against the National Endowment for the Arts 

In an important victory for First Amendment rights, a federal judge in Rhode Island has ruled in favor of four arts organizations in their challenge to the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) policy disfavoring any grant applications for projects that the government believes “promote gender ideology.” The court held that the NEA’s policy violates the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), and enjoined and set aside its implementation of an executive order that prohibits federal funding for grants that express ideas disfavored by the government.

U.S. Senior District Court Judge William Smith held that the NEA’s grant application review process “violates the First Amendment because it is a viewpoint-based restriction on private speech.” The order explains, “the NEA intends to disfavor applications that promote gender ideology precisely because they promote gender ideology. The Final Notice therefore promises to penalize artists based on their speech.” Additionally, the court determined the NEA’s policy was “arbitrary and capricious” in violation of the APA because “…there is zero explanation of what it means for a project to ‘promote gender ideology,’ let alone how that concept relates to artistic merit, artistic excellence, general standards of decency, or respect for the diverse beliefs and values of the American public.”

Update courtesy of the American Civil Liberties Union

Key Advocacy Issues

Prepare to take action by reviewing the key issues with downloadable briefs prepared by the Cultural Action Group.