An illustration of the Live Nation Entertainment logo can be seen on smartphone and computer screens.
SOPA Images | Getty Images
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers introduced a new bill Thursday aimed at increasing transparency in the entertainment industry, with the goal of disclosing ticket fees.
The Transparency in Ticketing and Fees for Critical Events Act, or ticket law, modeled on current airfare advertising guidelines, requiring full airfare price disclosure prior to purchase. Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., and Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., are co-sponsoring the bill.
“Fans are very frustrated with how difficult it has become to buy tickets to events. With every ticket debacle, from Beyoncé to Taylor Swift and more, their frustration grows bigger and bigger,” Schakowski said in a statement. “Consumers should be protected from counterfeit tickets, unexpected costs and exorbitant fees.”
The bill complements legislation introduced in April by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee.Its release follows a subcommittee hearing on regulatory extra surcharges, or “junk” charges, which have come into particular focus Biden administration.
“They said the price really should be the price you pay,” Cantwell said at Thursday’s hearing. “This can be added, but it needs to be disclosed.”
The House bill mirrors the Senate measure, requiring conductors to display the total ticket price, including all required fees, in any advertisement or marketing campaign.
Under the bill, an itemized list of base fares and associated fees must also be disclosed at the start of a purchase, and suppliers must also give advance notice of “speculative” tickets that do not belong to the seller.
Bilirakis said the bill would bring “much needed transparency to the entire ticketing industry”.
“For an avid fan, there’s nothing more disappointing than the prospect of being lured into an affordable ticket to see his or her favorite sports team or band, only to have it later in the checkout process only to know that the final price was much higher,” he said, adding that he was “committed to reforms that work to protect consumers and provide market certainty.”
Schakowsky and Bilirakis cited from New York Attorney General’s Office and Government Accountability Office Ticket fees for the show ranged from 21% to 58% of the total ticket cost.
Ticketing sites and associated fees have come under scrutiny in recent months, largely due to the failed Ticketmaster pre-sale of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” late last year.The site crashed under overwhelming demand, prompting calls for antitrust action against the parent company living nation.