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The United States House Energy and Commerce Committee has helped the Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act and the Speculative Ticketing Oversight and Prohibition (STOP) Act progress, by combining the two bills.
HR 3950 has now advanced to the full House of Representatives.
To become law, the bill would be voted on by members of the House and the Senate, before giving final approval. This would then be presented to the US President, who has 10 days to sign or veto the bill.
The TICKET Act would require event ticket sellers to display the total ticket price upfront, inclusive of all fees, in any advertisement or marketing that lists a price.
The Ticket Buyer Bill of Rights Coalition responded to the news, and said: “The live event ticketing system needs to be cured of deep flaws that result in consumers being abused before tickets go on sale, while they are for sale, and through the moment they are scanned for entry.
“We are pleased the Committee today expanded the scope of the bipartisan TICKET Act beyond its original focus on price transparency to now include other important consumer protections, specifically refund requirements for cancelled events and the banning of deceptive website marketing and speculative ticket sales where the seller is selling the promise of a ticket that he or she doesn’t yet possess.”
The statement added: “As a combined package, this legislation will take important steps toward improving the broken ticketing system. We hope this bill advances and ultimately becomes law, and that its passage out of committee today is a first step toward enacting broader ticketing market reform that is needed. We look forward to working with lawmakers to accomplish this in the future.”
Earlier this year, the Ticket Buyer Bill of Rights also endorsed the BOSS and SWIFT Act (HR 3660), which was introduced by Representatives Frank Pallone and Bill Pascrell, a bicameral bill that would hold the entire industry to a higher standard of accountability.
The Fix the Tix coalition, which represents constituencies within the music and events industry, also responded to the news and welcomed the decision to advance the TICKET Act.
It said: “The Fix the Tix coalition applauds Chairs Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Gus Bilirakis, Ranking Members Frank Pallone and Jan Schakowsky, and Representatives Kelly Armstrong and Lisa Blunt Rochester for championing ticketing reform as leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Their continued commitment to working with the live events and music community is admirable.
“Artists, fans, and venues deserve a TICKET Act with meaningful protections in addition to transparency. Predatory resellers sell speculative, or fake, tickets to American consumers every day. They use deceptive websites and marketing tactics to trick fans into thinking they are buying tickets from an artist’s venue. These practices are blatantly fraudulent, and the TICKET Act advanced out of Committee today bans them.”
Fix the Tix also endorsed a Senate ticketing bill that would hold predatory resellers accountable. The bipartisan Fans First Act is co-sponsored by US Senators John Cornyn, Amy Klobuchar, Marsha Blackburn, Peter Welch, Roger Wicker and Ben Luján.
“Predatory resellers have made the ticket-buying experience a nightmare for fans. Fake tickets, deceptive marketing practices and websites, and shady pricing harm live entertainment’s integrity and siphon money away from artists, venues, festivals, fans, and communities,” added Fix the Tix.
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