Carnivals are Real Entertainment Act

Summary#

This bill adds a new temporary nonimmigrant category for mobile entertainment workers to the Immigration and Nationality Act. It lets people enter the United States temporarily and only to do jobs that are "integral and essential" to a mobile entertainment provider. The bill defines a "mobile entertainment provider" to include traveling carnivals and circuses and related service providers (for example, food and game concessions that travel seasonally to fairs and festivals). Covered job activities include transporting, assembly, operation, disassembly, and maintenance of attractions, rides, games, novelties, and food or beverage concessions. The bill says these admissions must meet the same program requirements as a comparable temporary nonimmigrant program and requires the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor to publish proposed rules within 180 days and finalize rules within 1 year.

What it means for you#

• If you work for a traveling carnival, circus, or related seasonal concession, this bill would create a specific way to seek temporary entry to perform essential operational jobs.
• If you hire or run a mobile entertainment provider, you would need to follow the same program requirements that apply to similar temporary nonimmigrant workers, as implemented in Department of Labor rules.
• Federal agencies must write and publish rules about how the new category will work, with set deadlines for proposed and final rules.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on estimated costs or budgetary effects. The bill requires administrative rulemaking by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor (proposed rules within 180 days and final rules within 1 year), but the bill text does not include cost estimates.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.