After being introduced by bipartisan constituents, the Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act has been passed by the United States House of Representatives.
The bill, aiming to reform the ticketing industry by requiring full fee transparancey throughout the purchasing process, was first introduced in June 2023 by Illinois Democrat representative Jan Schakowsky and Florida Republican rep Gus Bilirakis, and then unanimously approved by the House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee back in December. Wednesday’s House vote received widespread support from both Democrats and Republicans, passing 338-24.
Here’s the summary of the bill:
This bill requires ticket sellers (including sellers on the secondary market) for concerts, performances, sporting events, and similar activities to clearly and prominently disclose at the beginning of the transaction, and prior to the selection of a ticket, the total ticket price for the event and an itemized list of the base ticket price and each fee (e.g., service fee, processing fee, delivery fee, facility charge fee, tax, or other charge). The total ticket price must also be disclosed in any advertisement, marketing, or price list. Currently, ticket sellers generally disclose fees at the checkout stage.
Additionally, ticket sellers that are offering to sell a ticket that the seller does not have in their actual or constructive possession must clearly and prominently disclose that the ticket is not in their possession before an individual selects a ticket to purchase.
The Federal Trade Commission must enforce these requirements.
Schakowsky wrote on X/Twitter Wednesday night, “The TICKET Act just passed the House of Representatives! We are so close to protecting consumers from fraudulent tickets, surprise costs, and excessive fees. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues to urge quick Senate passage so that we can send it to @POTUS ‘ desk!”
The TICKET Act still needs to pass the Senate and then be signed into law by President Biden. Stay tuned.
New York already passed a bill banning hidden fees on concert tickets.