An act to add Section 12098.9 to the Government Code, relating to music festivals.
SB 370 would establish the California Music Festival Preservation Grant Program within the Office of Small Business Advocate at GO-Biz. The program would be administered under the director’s authority and would provide grants to eligible independent live music events promoters to help them continue operating and to support equitable access to the arts for Californians. The bill defines eligible promoters broadly to include certain business entities and nonprofits that organize, promote, produce, manage, or host live concerts, festivals, or similar events, so long as performers are paid, a ticket or cover charge is charged, and at least 70 percent of the entity’s earned revenue comes from event-related sources such as ticket sales, production fees, or food and merchandise sales.
The bill would authorize, subject to legislative appropriation, up to $20 million in grants to be allocated in one or more rounds to qualifying promoters. It also includes legislative findings that music festivals generate economic activity, tourism, jobs, and investment for host communities, and that they can expand access to the arts. In practical terms, the bill would add a new state grant program to Government Code section 12098.9 and direct GO-Biz’s Office of Small Business Advocate to administer it.
The general sentiment reflected in the available voting history appears supportive. The bill received unanimous committee votes in the recorded actions, including a 10-0 do pass vote and a 7-0 vote to place it on suspense file, suggesting no recorded opposition at those stages. The bill’s framing around arts access, small business support, and local economic development likely contributed to that broad support.
The main point of contention is fiscal rather than policy-based. Because the bill contemplates a $20 million grant allocation, it was referred to Appropriations and placed on suspense file, indicating concern about the state budget impact and competing funding priorities. Another possible issue is the eligibility design: the bill favors independent, revenue-generating live music promoters and venues that charge admission and pay performers, which may exclude smaller, free, nonprofit, or differently structured cultural events.
SB 370 would add Section 12098.9 to the Government Code and create a new grant program within GO-Biz’s Office of Small Business Advocate. It would not directly regulate music festivals, but it would authorize the state to distribute grants to qualifying independent live music event promoters, subject to appropriation, and would require the office to allocate up to $20 million for that purpose. The bill would affect GO-Biz administration, eligible promoters, and the live music and festival sector by creating a new state funding stream tied to specific business and revenue criteria.
The available legislative record suggests generally favorable sentiment. Recorded committee votes were unanimous, with no nays in the actions provided, indicating broad agreement with the bill’s goals of supporting music festivals and local economic activity. The bill’s emphasis on arts access, jobs, tourism, and small business development appears to have resonated with committee members, at least at the stages reflected in the voting history.
The primary contention appears to be the fiscal cost of the proposal, since the bill would authorize $20 million in grants and was sent to Appropriations and placed on suspense file. That suggests concern about whether the state should commit that level of funding and how it would fit within the budget. A secondary issue is eligibility: the bill is limited to independent live music events promoters with ticketed, paid-performer events and a high share of earned revenue from event operations, which may leave out smaller community festivals, free events, or organizations that do not fit the bill’s business model.