Sponsors (2)
The bill improves transparency, consumer protections, and enforcement against deceptive ticketing practices, but does so by imposing compliance costs and expanded enforcement exposure on sellers and platforms that could raise prices and reduce secondary‑market availability, particularly for smaller businesses.
Consumers/ticket buyers will see the full advertised ticket price (defined base price + fees + total) up front, reducing surprise checkout fees and making offers easier to compare.
Buyers are better protected from phantom or non‑existent listings because sellers must possess tickets before sale or clearly disclose broker/fulfillment status, reducing the risk of paying for tickets that don't exist.
When events are cancelled or long‑postponed, purchasers can obtain refunds or choose replacement tickets and receive clearer pre‑sale disclosure of refund/fee policies, giving buyers concrete remedies and clearer expectations.
Ticket sellers, platforms, and resellers (especially small businesses) will face compliance and implementation costs to update listings, disclosures, and systems, costs that may be passed on to consumers or reduce market competition.
Requiring possession disclosures or banning non‑possessed listings could reduce secondary‑market liquidity and limit availability of legitimate broker/fulfillment services, making it harder for some buyers to find tickets.
Expanded FTC enforcement exposure (use of full FTC powers and civil penalties) increases regulatory and litigation risk and compliance costs for businesses, nonprofits, and financial institutions that sell or handle tickets.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Mandates clear, up-front total ticket prices and fee itemization; requires possession-before-sale, resale/affiliation disclosures, and refunds/replacements for canceled or postponed events.
Introduced January 28, 2025 by Eric Stephen Schmitt · Last progress January 28, 2025
Requires ticket sellers and resale platforms to show the full ticket price up front, itemize fees, disclose when tickets are resales and any false affiliation with venues or artists, hold actual or constructive possession of tickets before sale (with a limited exception for ticket-finding services), and provide clear refund or replacement rules when events are canceled or postponed. The Federal Trade Commission will enforce these rules as unfair or deceptive acts and must report on prior ticketing law enforcement within six months.