WASHINGTON, DC (CelebrityAccess) – After bipartisan politicians launched the Transparency in Fees for Key Occasions Ticketing (TICKET) Act in June 2023, it acquired plenty of backing from the music business. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL) and Gus Bilirakis (FL) launched laws final 12 months “to enhance transparency within the leisure business by requiring all occasion ticket sellers to show the whole ticket worth — together with all required charges — in any commercial, advertising or promotional supplies.”
The TICKET Act would enhance transparency and equity within the dwell occasion ticket market by:
- Requiring the whole worth of an occasion ticket be displayed upfront, inclusive of all charges
- Banning the sale of a ticket {that a} vendor doesn’t have (“speculative ticketing”)
- Guaranteeing refunds for occasion cancellations and postponements
- Requiring clear disclosures and banning misleading URLs to guard customers from fraudulent ticketing web sites
- Requiring the Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) research and report on enforcement of the BOTS Act (2016)
The invoice handed the Home in a landslide vote of 338-24 final night time. The information that the Home is pushing it by means of comes after the Home Power and Commerce Committee unanimously authorized it 45-0 in December 2023. It should transfer to the Senate earlier than President Joe Biden indicators it into legislation.
Rep. Schakowsky posted on her X account after the Home handed the laws.
The TICKET Act simply handed the Home of Representatives!
We’re so near defending customers from fraudulent tickets, shock prices, and extreme charges.
I’ll proceed to work with my colleagues to induce fast Senate passage in order that we will ship it to @POTUS‘ desk! https://t.co/AkexP3ClyX
— Jan Schakowsky (@janschakowsky) Might 15, 2024
Rep. Schakowsky, together with Home Power and Commerce Committee Chair – Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (WA), Committee Rating Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ), and Innovation, Information and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Rep. Bilirakis (FL), additionally applauded the Home choice in a joint assertion.
This consensus laws will finish misleading ticketing practices that frustrate customers who merely need to take pleasure in a live performance, present, or sporting occasion by restoring equity and transparency to the ticket market. After years of bipartisan work, we’ll now be capable to improve the shopper expertise of shopping for occasion tickets on-line. We sit up for persevering with to work collectively to induce fast Senate passage in order that we will ship it to the President’s desk to be signed into legislation.
The Repair the Tix Coalition, the Nationwide Impartial Venue Affiliation (NIVA) and the Nationwide Impartial Expertise Group (NITO) recommended the Home’s passage of the TICKET Act. The organizations now name on the Senate to go the Followers First Act, which builds on the TICKET Act by together with extra provisions to ban speculative (faux) tickets, be sure that misleading imagery on web sites doesn’t trick customers, enhance obligatory reporting of unlawful BOTS to acquire tickets, to require clear and conspicuous itemization of the ticket worth and costs at the start of the transaction, and to supply significant enforcement of those provisions.
“The Repair the Tix Coalition, representing each main constituency of the music and dwell occasions business, applauds the passage of H.R. 3950, the TICKET Act, as an necessary step in the direction of restoring belief within the ticketing ecosystem. The invoice offers transparency with all-in pricing and takes necessary steps to fight speculative tickets and misleading web sites. We urge the Senate to construct on this progress by strengthening these provisions, growing enforcement of the BOTS Act and offering extra avenues of enforcement to fight predatory and misleading ticketing practices. The dwell leisure ecosystem is relying on Congress to behave in the most effective pursuits of followers to revive transparency and belief to our nation’s damaged ticketing system.” – Repair the Tix Coalition
“We commend Home passage of H.R. 3950, the TICKET Act, which is able to assist to enhance the ticket-buying expertise for followers, to guard the livelihoods of artists, and to protect impartial venues throughout the nation. Not solely has the U.S. Home of Representatives moved to guard customers from predatory and misleading ticketing practices, however states throughout the nation, together with Arizona, Maryland, Minnesota and Nevada, have not too long ago banned, with out exception, speculative tickets on a bipartisan foundation. We name on Congress to do the identical, to construct on the TICKET Act and undertake sturdy, enforceable, complete ticketing reform laws just like the Followers First Act.” – Stephen Parker, Govt Director of NIVA
“We commend the Home on passing the TICKET Act, an necessary step in the direction of making complete ticket laws federal legislation. The Nationwide Impartial Expertise Group (NITO) now calls on the Senate to go the Followers First Act, which features a complete ban on speculative tickets and requires itemized ticket charges at the start of buy in order that followers know the worth they are going to pay and the worth the artist meant. We are going to proceed our work to maneuver complete ticket laws ahead.” – Nathaniel Marro, Managing Director of NITO (Repair the Tix Member)
“Eventbrite celebrates the resounding Home passage of dwell occasion ticketing reform and commends invoice sponsors and committee management for strengthening the laws earlier than passing it. Now, it’s the Senate’s flip to construct upon this progress for customers and followers by passing the bipartisan and complete Followers First Act (S. 3457) as quickly as attainable.” – Julia Hartz, Co-Founder and Chief Govt Officer of Eventbrite (Repair the Tix Steering Committee Member)
For extra info on the Senate Followers First Act, the Home TICKET Act and the Senate TICKET Act, click on HERE to see the Congressional Ticketing Aspect by Aspect.