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Three music and ticketing bills have been reintroduced in the US Senate over the last week.
The bills have been reintroduced by Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn. They include the American Music Tourism Act, Mitigating Automated Internet Networks for (MAIN) Event Ticketing Act, and the Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act.
These bills have been created to support artists, creators and their fans, according to a release from Senator Blackburn’s office.
The Main Event Ticketing Act would build on the BOTS Act (in 2016, then-President Barack Obama signed Senator Blackburn’s Better Online Ticket Sales Act into law) by creating reporting requirements whereby online ticket sellers have to report successful bot attacks to the Federal Trade Commission; create a complaint database so consumers can share their experiences with the FTC, which in turn is required to share the information with state attorneys general; enacting data security requirements for online ticket sellers and requires the sharing of information between the FTC and law enforcement; and finally, requiring a report to Congress on BOTS enforcement.
The American Music Tourism Act aims to leverage the existing framework to promote music tourism in the US. The country boasts one of the world’s largest music industries, which generates more than $43bn (£34.5bn/€41bn) in revenue each year. The bill would require the Commerce Department’s Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism to implement a plan to support and increase music tourism, and provide a report to Congress on the success and vulnerability of these goals.
Elsewhere, the HITS Act would help to level the playing field for independent creators and labels.
“The Volunteer State [a nickname for the state of Tennessee] is home to so many iconic musical landmarks – from Graceland in Memphis to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge,” said Senator Blackburn.
“These three bills will promote music tourism across the state of Tennessee, better protect consumers and artists from scammers, and provide tax deductions to support independent music creators.”
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