Bill > H260

This bill aims to reform how sports and entertainment tickets are issued and sold, with a focus on consumer protection. It repeals existing laws and establishes new definitions for terms like "event" (which includes concerts, sporting events, etc., held in venues with over 1000 seats that received public funding or are on government property), "event ticket," "person," "public funding," "resale," "ticket issuer" (anyone making tickets available to the public), and "venue." A key provision requires ticket issuers to provide advance public notice of their ticket policies, including details on the total number of tickets, how many are for public sale, their prices, and when and where they will be available. This notice must be submitted to the Commissioner of Public Safety at least 15 days before tickets go on sale and will be posted online. The bill also makes it unlawful for ticket issuers to prohibit or restrict the resale of event tickets by lawful possessors, including through contractual terms, requiring purchasers to agree not to resell, using technology to prevent resale, or imposing price restrictions on resales. It sets consumer protection minimum standards for those in the business of selling or reselling tickets, requiring a toll-free number for complaints and a standard refund policy for events that are cancelled, tickets are counterfeit, cancelled by the issuer for reasons other than the consumer's fault, don't match their description, or aren't delivered on time. The Commissioner of Public Safety is empowered to enforce these provisions through civil actions, seeking injunctions and damages, with penalties calculated per violation, up to a limit per event, and potential for triple damages in aggravated cases. The bill also allows for exceptions for charitable events and certain ticket restrictions by non-profit educational institutions.