SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1428        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 154

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Michael F. Rush

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to the fair distribution and pricing of event tickets.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1428        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 154

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 187 OF 2015-2016.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act relative to the fair distribution and pricing of event tickets.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Section 185I of chapter 140 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following section:-

Section 185J. (a) The following words as used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, shall have the following meaning:—

“Event ticket”, a physical, electronic, or other form of a certificate, document, voucher, or token to any concert, theatrical performance, sporting event, exhibition, show, or similar activity taking place in the Commonwealth.

“Software”, any computer program primarily designed or produced for the purpose of purchasing tickets from a ticket issuer for the purpose of resale on the secondary market.

“Ticket issuer”, a person or company that makes initial event tickets available directly to the general public in the primary market.

“Ticket reseller”, any form of transfer or alienation, or offering for transfer or alienation, of possession of an event ticket from one person to another, with or without consideration, whether in person or by means of telephone, mail, delivery service, facsimile, internet, email or other electronic means.  “Ticket reseller” does not include the initial sale of an event ticket by the ticket issuer.

(b) No ticket issuer shall pre-sell any event ticket to a ticket reseller for the purposes of selling tickets in the secondary market.

A ticket reseller of event tickets shall be prohibited from using any software or other technology for the purpose, or with the foreseeable effect, of restricting the sale of event tickets to the general public within twenty-four hours of when the tickets go on sale.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.