US House Passes TICKET Act For Pricing Transparency, The Industry Responds

WASHINGTON, DC (CelebrityAccess) – After bipartisan politicians launched the Transparency in Expenses for Key Occasions Ticketing (TICKET) Act in June 2023, it acquired lots of backing from the music trade. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL) and Gus Bilirakis (FL) launched laws final 12 months “to enhance transparency within the leisure trade by requiring all occasion ticket sellers to show the overall ticket worth — together with all required charges — in any commercial, advertising and marketing or promotional supplies.”

The TICKET Act would enhance transparency and equity within the reside occasion ticket market by:

• Requiring the overall 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 shoppers from fraudulent ticketing web sites
• Requiring the Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) examine and report on enforcement of the BOTS Act (2016)

The invoice handed the Home in a landslide vote of 338-24 final evening. 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 would transfer to the Senate earlier than President Joe Biden indicators it into regulation.

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 shoppers 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) May 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, Knowledge and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Rep. Bilirakis (FL), additionally applauded the Home resolution in a joint assertion.

This consensus laws will finish misleading ticketing practices that frustrate shoppers who merely wish to get pleasure from a live performance, present, or sporting occasion by restoring equity and transparency to the ticket market. After years of bipartisan work, we are going to now be capable to improve the client expertise of shopping for occasion tickets on-line. We stay 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 regulation.

The Repair the Tix Coalition, the Nationwide Unbiased Venue Affiliation (NIVA) and the Nationwide Unbiased Expertise Group (NITO) recommended the Home’s passage of the TICKET Act. The organizations now name on the Senate to move the Followers First Act, which builds on the TICKET Act by together with further provisions to ban speculative (faux) tickets, be certain that misleading imagery on web sites doesn’t trick shoppers, enhance necessary reporting of unlawful BOTS to acquire tickets, to require clear and conspicuous itemization of the ticket worth and charges initially of the transaction, and to offer significant enforcement of those provisions.

“The Repair the Tix Coalition, representing each main constituency of the music and reside occasions trade, applauds the passage of H.R. 3950, the TICKET Act, as an necessary step in direction of restoring belief within the ticketing ecosystem. The invoice gives 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 further avenues of enforcement to fight predatory and misleading ticketing practices. The reside leisure ecosystem is relying on Congress to behave in one of the best 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 shoppers from predatory and misleading ticketing practices, however states throughout the nation, together with Arizona, Maryland, Minnesota and Nevada, have lately 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 robust, 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 direction of making complete ticket laws federal regulation. The Nationwide Unbiased Expertise Group (NITO) now calls on the Senate to move the Followers First Act, which features a complete ban on speculative tickets and requires itemized ticket charges initially of buy in order that followers know the worth they may 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 reside 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 shoppers 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 data 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.