CARE Act Advocacy & Congressional Outreach Guide
We are requesting you contact your Congressperson and ask them to become a co-sponsor for HR 1787, the Carnivals are Real Entertainment (CARE Act). As you may know, our industry has become heavily dependent on visa workers. With the upcoming election we are faced with the very real possibility that supplemental H2B visas will not be issued.
This act would provide us with employment security for years to come. We need your help to assure this act makes it into the upcoming spending bill. The CARE Act has bi-partisan support. It is not an immigration issue. It is a workforce issue. Passage of this legislation will:
- Clarify an existing category of visas for foreign workers, the P Visa, which covers the entertainment industry. Carnival workers should’ve been included in this category years ago.
- Solve the mobile amusement industry’s most pressing issue – having enough reliable workers to operate safely at full capacity
- Free up about 10,000 H2B visas for the many other industries (fishery, landscaping, resorts) that also need reliable foreign labor.
This issue pertains not only to carnival and game owners, concessionaires, and other midway operators, but also fairs, festivals, and all associated industries. Without employment stability, fairs and festivals could be affected by receiving fewer rides and vendors, or even be faced with the possibility of no rides, games, or concessions on the midway. Our suppliers would be left with fewer customers during the season.
CLICK HERE to find YOUR Representative and contact them to co-sponsor the CARE Act HR 1787
NEW SENATE COMPANION BILL! Restoring Industry Development in Entertainment – or the RIDE Act (S 4040) You may contact your SENATOR now to co-sponsor this legislation!
CLICK HERE to find YOUR Senator and contact them to co-sponsor the RIDE Act S 4040
The OABA has provided phone scripts, as well as email and letter templates below.
If you have contacted your Congressperson, please let us know here: https://forms.gle/AvY8eQDATxsfkh3U6
