Fall Update: Policy Action Continues as Elections Near

October 1, 2026

In This Issue

• New Nonprofit Voter Engagement Tools
• Advocate at Home: Congress Adjourns for Midterm Elections
• Latest Policy Action to Combat Ticketing Fraud
• Rules for International Student Work Eligibility Tightened

New Nonprofit Voter Engagement Tools

With the midterm elections just a little more than a month away, nonprofit orchestras can engage in non-partisan activities that encourage all voters to register and participate in the election process. Review the League’s Playing Your Part: An Orchestra’s Guide to Public Policy Advocacy to get a refresher on the rules and find some helpful resources from our updated Voter Engagement page, including a 2026 Voter Engagement Guide created by the National Council of Nonprofits in partnership with Nonprofit VOTE.

Advocate at Home: Congress Adjourns for Midterm Elections

As orchestra concert seasons begin, now is the perfect time to invite your elected officials to see the arts in action. Congress has returned to home districts and states through the midterm elections and will face major spending decisions when returning to D.C.

In September, a stopgap funding package to keep the federal government funded through December 11 was signed into law, also temporarily blocking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from finalizing proposed sweeping changes to overhaul federal grantmaking. The House Appropriations Committee is once again proposing an approximately 35% cut for the National Endowment for the Arts within the Interior-Environment bill and elimination of the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education within the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education bill, stating that “the Department should be focused on core education such as reading, writing, and math.” Similar proposals last year were rejected in final spending negotiations. You can take action to ensure that strong bipartisan support from Congress once again preserves arts funding.

Latest Policy Action to Combat Ticketing Fraud

Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) have introduced the Guaranteeing Honest Ownership in Secondary Ticketing (GHOST) Act, which would protect fans and concertgoers from deceptive ticket resale practices by prohibiting resellers from selling tickets they do not actually possess. In addition to the ban, the GHOST Act would empower the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action against violators and seek injunctive and monetary relief as well as require the FTC to establish a website where consumers can report illegal ticketing activity. The League is a partner with the Fix the Tix Coalition to advance federal policies to combat predatory activity in the secondary ticket market.

Rules for International Student Work Eligibility Tightened

Many U.S. arts organizations partner with institutions of higher education to engage international students with F-1 visas in work that advances their training. On August 24, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a broadcast that specifies the conditions for when Curricular Practical Training (CPT) may be approved, clarifying that eligibility is available only for work that is required for all students for degree completion in a particular program. Training programs of this kind have specific conditions, and partnering arts organizations should always confer with the designated school official as to which option is available and permissible for any given student. The League provides updates on artist visa rules on our dedicated website, Artists from Abroad.