TICKET Act clears House Energy & Commerce Committee
Once again, ticketing policy takes center stage in Washington, DC. Last week, President Trump signed an Executive Order “to protect fans from exploitative ticket scalping and bring commonsense reforms to America’s live entertainment ticketing industry.” Today, the House Energy & Commerce Committee marked up the TICKET Act (H.R. 1402), a bipartisan, fan-first bill that could forever change how we buy tickets online. The bill passed the committee by voice vote. The only ‘no’ vote was by Congresswoman Clarke and it was not based on the substance of the bill but in protest of broader political dynamics.
“Once again we applaud the members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for another strong, bipartisan vote on a noncontroversial bill that fans have long called for. We also wish to thank Chair Guthrie, Ranking Member Pallone, Chair Bilirakis, and Ranking Member Schakowsky for their steadfast support of fans and picking up where last Congress left off. The TICKET Act (Transparency In Charges for Key Events Ticketing) brings truth in ticketing. It’s a smart, consensus-driven piece of legislation that cuts through shady practices in the ticket resale market. We urge the House of Representatives and the Senate to pass the TICKET Act expeditiously.”
It’s common sense. It’s bipartisan. It’s long overdue. Last year, the TICKET Act (then known as H.R. 3950) built a rare kind of momentum in Washington — unanimous or nearly unanimous support every step of the way. After clearing the House Energy & Commerce Committee with a 45-0 vote, the bill earned praise from every corner of the live event ecosystem: consumer advocates behind the Ticket Buyer Bill of Rights, the Fix the Tix coalition of artists and promoters, venue managers, and artist rights groups all backed it as the most comprehensive ticketing reform in decades. When it hit the House floor, it sailed through with a commanding 388-24 vote, drawing bipartisan support from nearly every member of the committee now considering it again. What followed was a rare show of bipartisanship: House and Senate negotiators worked together to craft a unified compromise bill, which was poised to become law as part of the December 2024 Continuing Resolution—until last-minute politics kept it out of the final package. Specifically the bill:
Requires all-in pricing
Bans speculative ticketing
Prohibits deceptive websites and URLs
Guarantees fans refunds.
Requires the FTC to publish a report on BOTS Act enforcement.
Fans vs. the Broken System
Let’s be honest: buying tickets today feels more like trying to block a shot on goal by Alex Ovechkin. Meanwhile, the monopoly and their industry partners rake in profits while shrugging off consumer complaints. The TICKET Act puts an end to that. It levels the playing field. It says fans deserve fairness, not frustration. It’s not just Sports Fans Coalition that thinks so, a dozen other consumer groups yesterday also endorsed the bill, including:
National Consumers League
U.S. Public Interest Research Group
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
Public Good Law Center
American Consumer Institute
Protect Ticket Rights
Oregon Consumer Justice
MASSPIRG
Consumer Federation of California
Virginia Citizens Consumer Council
Economic Action Maryland Fund
The time is now
This isn’t about politics. It’s about principle. It’s about protecting fans—whether you’re buying nosebleeds at the ballpark or courtside at the NBA finals. Let’s not fumble this opportunity. Let’s get the TICKET Act over the goal line and onto the House floor.