HOLDBACKS Act
Sponsored By: Representative Pou, Nellie [D-NJ-9]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would require greater ticket sale transparency by primary sellers and ban practices that hide or withhold tickets to inflate prices. It would make sellers publish counts and full ticket costs before public sales and let the Federal Trade Commission enforce the rules.
Show full summary
- Fans and buyers: Sellers must disclose, at least 7 days before the first public sale, the total number of scheduled occurrences, the number of tickets offered to the public for each occurrence, and the full ticket cost including fees. This gives buyers earlier visibility into availability and true price.
- Primary ticket sellers, venues, and teams: Must post disclosures on their website and at the venue box office and may not withhold tickets or conceal availability to drive up prices. The ban covers withholding at or after the start of public sales.
- Regulators and states: Violations are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission under the FTC Act and violators face FTC penalties. State attorneys general keep authority to investigate or sue under state law.
Definitions in the bill clarify who counts as a primary ticket seller, what counts as a ticket, and what counts as total cost. An exception applies when the total number of scheduled occurrences is unknowable because a sporting series depends on wins.
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New ticket sale transparency rules
This bill would require primary ticket sellers to post key ticket information at least 7 days before primary sales. Sellers would post the info on their website and at the venue box office. For each scheduled occurrence sellers would disclose the total number of events offered. They would also disclose how many tickets they will sell per event and the total cost of one ticket. Total cost would include base price plus required fees, delivery charges, taxes, and other charges. The rule would not apply when a sports series length depends on wins. Sellers would be barred from withholding or hiding tickets to raise prices. They would also be barred from giving misleading information about ticket quantities after sales start. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce these rules with its normal powers and penalties. State attorneys general would still be able to investigate and sue under state law.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Pou, Nellie [D-NJ-9]
NJ • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov