Government Affairs Update: Federal Arts Funding Extended, Public Service Loan Forgiveness Changes Proposed, and Artist Visa Updates

The political landscape in Washington, DC continues to evolve daily. Chorus America needs to hear from you: How are the federal government’s actions affecting your work? All stories of specific impact are welcome. Please share your experience here. Thank you to those members who have already shared their stories with us. 

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These government affairs updates are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended as legal advice. Nonprofit arts organizations should consult with legal counsel for guidance specific to their circumstances.

Federal Funding for Cultural Agencies Remains Level Through January 2026

On November 12, President Trump signed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026 (H.R. 5371). The government reopened the following morning. Cultural agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts, are funded at FY2025 levels through January 30, 2026.

The Act includes three of the twelve FY2026 appropriations bills: Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and the Legislative Branch. Congress must finish work on the remaining nine bills or pass another spending measure to avoid another shutdown.

🔗See how your legislators voted on the bill here.
🔗See the bill’s summary and text here.

Share How Your Schools Used Federal Funds for Arts Education in 2024–2025

The Arts Education Alliance and NAMM’s SupportMusic Coalition invite K–12 arts leaders to complete the 2024–25 Federal Funds Survey by December 12. Your input on how federal funds (Titles I, II, and IV-A) supported music, dance, theatre, media, and visual arts helps advocates to track impact, identify needs, and strengthen advocacy.

The survey takes about twenty minutes. Some questions may require checking with district staff who manage federal funding data. 

👉Take the survey, here.

👉 Share the survey with these resources, here.

Updates on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Actions by the President and the Department of Education have introduced proposed changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Full-time employees of a 501(c)(3) choir remain eligible.

March 7, 2025: President Trump issued an executive order directing the Department of Education to propose changes that would exclude organizations deemed to have a substantial illegal purpose, including those involved in illegal immigration, terrorism, child abuse, illegal discrimination, or disorderly conduct.  The executive order did not make immediate changes to the program.

October 31, 2025: The Department of Education published a rule aimed at strengthening PSLF accountability, enhancing program integrity, and preventing improper subsidies for employees of organizations engaged in criminal activity that undermines national security or American values.

According to the Department of Education:  The rule seeks to “strengthen accountability, enhance program integrity, and protect hardworking taxpayers from shouldering the cost of improper subsidies granted to employees of organizations that undermine national security and American values through criminal activity.”

November 3, 2025: The National Council of Nonprofits filed litigation challenging the rule. The Council stated that the Administration has “now promulgated a Rule that purports to allow the Secretary to selectively disqualify employers from participation in the program on the Secretary’s determination that an employer has engaged in activities with a purported ‘substantial illegal purpose.’”

🔗To learn more and access PSLF resources, visit the NCN website, here.

Artist Visa Update:  New Filing Addresses for All O and P Petitions

USCIS has issued new filing addresses for O and P artist visa petitions. A grace period applies for petitions postmarked through November 28, 2025. Petitioners should verify the correct address for each filing on the USCIS webpage for Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-129.

Address requirements vary based on:

• Classification type (O-1B, O-2, or P)
• Whether Premium Processing is requested
• The location of the petitioner’s primary office
• Mailing method (USPS or private courier services)
• Filing a Form I-907 for a pending Form I-129, which has its own set of addresses

🔗For the complete update, visit the Artists From Abroad website, here.

Former NEA Chair Bill Ivey Dies at 81

Bill Ivey, former Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, passed away on November 7 in Nashville at the age of 81. Ivey led the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for more than two decades before his nomination to chair the NEA in 1997. He served as NEA Chair from 1998 to 2001. NEA Senior Advisor Mary Anne Carter reflected on his legacy:

“Bill Ivey was a leader who made sure the arts reached everyone, not just a few. As chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, he worked to open doors, bringing creative opportunities to young people and expanding access across the country, while preserving our cultural heritage as the nation entered a new millennium. As we approach another milestone in America’s semiquincentennial, his vision and leadership reminds us that the arts belong to all Americans, and our lives are richer because of it.”

🔗Read the NEA’s full statement here.