IAAPA Public Affairs

Safer Skies Act Strengthens Drone Protections for Parks IAAPA’s Public Affairs team has long supported federal policies that allow fixed-site amusement parks to work with state and local law enforcement to protect their airspace from unauthorized drone activity. A significant milestone in that effort was reached with the enactment of the Safer Skies Act. The…

BridgeUSA J-1 Summer Work Travel Program Update For hosts that participate in the BridgeUSA J-1 Summer Work Travel Program, recent visa processing developments highlight the importance of proactive planning to advance workforce readiness and meaningful cultural exchange. U.S. embassies and consulates have largely resumed scheduling J-1 visa interviews under revised procedures; however, enhanced background and…

SBA 504 Reform Improves Financing Access for Attractions We want to share an important federal policy update that could reduce upfront costs for certain SBA 504 “special purpose” properties. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the bipartisan Main Street Parity Act (H.R. 5763), which removes the long-standing requirement for higher borrower down payments on…

Understanding the New Federal Overtime Tax Law Recent changes in federal tax law allow certain overtime wages to be excluded from federal taxable income. Whether this provision applies in the attractions industry depends on an employer’s status under federal overtime requirements. Many seasonal attractions operate under a federal exemption from overtime. While these operators may…

IAAPA Public Affairs Update – Multistate Report – May 5, 2025 As spring is in full swing, many state legislatures are already entering the final stretch of their 2025 sessions. With only 34 of the original 50 states still active, the IAAPA Public Affairs team continues monitoring over 1,600 bills potentially impacting the attractions industry…

Posted: April 21, 2025 A Message from IAAPA on Global Tariff Developments As global conversations around tariffs and trade continue to evolve, IAAPA is committed to keeping our members informed with clear, factual updates that may affect the attractions industry. Several governments have recently introduced or expanded tariffs on goods such as steel, aluminum, and…

Multistate Legislative Trends Impacting Your Business Following our recent federal policy update, state legislatures are advancing proposals that could affect many attraction operations in 2025. With forty six states already in legislative session, and odd-numbered years historically generating 16,500 additional bills, early industry engagement is essential. Here’s your look at the emerging trends. Multi-State Legislative…