Austin News

U.S. Senators John Cornyn, Amy Klobuchar, Marsha Blackburn, Ben Ray Luján, Roger Wicker, and Peter Welch have introduced the Fans First Act, a bill aimed at reforming the live event ticketing system. The legislation seeks to address the flaws in the current system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, protecting consumers from fake or overpriced tickets, and holding bad actors accountable.

According to Senator Cornyn, "The current ticketing system is riddled with problems and doesn't serve the needs of fans, teams, artists, or venues." The Fans First Act aims to rebuild trust in the ticketing system by cracking down on bots and other predatory practices that take advantage of consumers through price gouging. It also seeks to increase price transparency for ticket purchasers.

Senator Klobuchar highlights the issues of bots, hidden fees, and predatory practices that are hurting consumers who want to attend live events. She states, "From ensuring fans get refunds for canceled shows to banning speculative ticket sales, this bipartisan legislation will improve the ticketing experience."

Senator Blackburn emphasizes that fans have become frustrated with the difficulty of obtaining affordable tickets due to bots snatching them up and selling them at exorbitant prices on secondary markets. She states, "This bipartisan legislation builds upon my work to safeguard artists and their fans in the online ticket marketplace."

Senator Luján expresses his belief that the current ticketing system limits access to live entertainment and erodes consumer trust. He states, "That's why I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Fans First Act to ensure the sale of tickets is accessible to all consumers."

Senator Wicker highlights the bipartisan effort to bring more transparency and less price gouging to the ticketing system, stating that the legislation would benefit fans of sports, music, theatre, or any other kind of live entertainment.

Senator Welch emphasizes the importance of protecting ticketholders from exploitation by scammers and ensuring that everyone can enjoy live events without worrying about the security of their ticket. He states, "The Fans First Act will help protect American consumers from the financial harms of price gouging."

The Fans First Act addresses various areas of reform in the current ticketing system. It includes provisions for ticket sales transparency, requiring sellers and resellers to disclose the total cost of the ticket, a breakdown of the ticket cost, clear terms and conditions of purchase, and whether they are the original seller.

The legislation also focuses on consumer protection, strengthening the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act to prohibit the use of bots to purchase tickets online. It requires sellers and resellers to provide proof of purchase to consumers and refund the full cost of the ticket when events are canceled.

To combat bad actors, the Fans First Act imposes civil penalties on resellers engaging in illegal ticket sale practices and creates a reporting website for fans to file complaints. It also prohibits the sale of speculative tickets and prevents the use of deceptive websites.

The legislation has received endorsements from various organizations, including the Fix the Tix Coalition, National Independent Venue Association, Recording Academy, and Eventbrite.

In summary, the Fans First Act aims to address the flaws in the live event ticketing system by increasing transparency, protecting consumers, and holding bad actors accountable. The bipartisan legislation seeks to improve the ticketing experience and ensure that all fans have access to affordable tickets.

Click this link to access more information: https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-klobuchar-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-reform-live-event-ticketing-system/