Title: Nontransferable Tickets

Summary: Requires ticket issuers to offer option for transferable tickets; prohibits discrimination against holders of such tickets; provides civil penalties.

Full Text:
An act relating to nontransferable tickets; creating s. 817.362, F.S.; providing definitions; requiring ticket issuers to offer an option for transferable tickets; prohibiting discrimination against holders of such tickets; providing civil penalties for violations; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Section 817.362, Florida Statutes, is created to read: 817.362 Nontransferable tickets.-(1) As used in this subsection, the term: (a) "Nontransferable ticket system" means a system that restricts, through contractual or technological means, a ticket purchaser's ability to freely use, give away, or resell a ticket he or she has purchased. (b) "Ticket issuer" means any person that makes tickets available, directly or indirectly, to an entertainment event, and includes, but is not limited to, any of the following: 1. The operator of a venue. 2. The sponsor or promoter of an entertainment event. 3. A sports team participating in an entertainment event or a league whose teams are participating in an entertainment HB 2019 event. 4. A theatre company, musical group, or similar participant in an entert ainment event. 5. An agent of any person described in subparagraphs 1.-4. (c) "Ticket platform" means a marketplace that enables consumers to purchase and sell tickets. (2)(a) A ticket issuer may employ a nontransferable ticketing system only if the consumer is offered an option at the time of initial sale to purchase the same ticket, on the same terms, including price, in a transferable form that allows tickets to be given away or resold, independent of and without requiring the consumer to use the ticket issuer's preferred ticket platform and without penalty or discrimination. (b) A ticket buyer or seller may not be penalized, discriminated against, or denied access to an event solely on the grounds that the ticket or tickets were resold or on the grounds that the tickets were resold through a certain ticket platform. (3) A person who knowingly violates this section is liable for a civil penalty equal to treble the amount of all sales of tickets subject to such violation. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.