I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 857
To require the disclosure of service and other charges on tickets, and for
other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 8, 1995
Mr. DINGELL (for himself, Mr. CONDIT, Mr. MOORHEAD, and Mr. OXLEY) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Com-
merce
A BILL
To require the disclosure of service and other charges on
tickets, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ticket Fee Disclosure
Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) sellers and resellers of entertainment and
sporting event tickets often impose service charges
and fees or other additional fees and charges, in ex-
cess of the face amount of such tickets, to consum-
ers who purchase such tickets;
(2) consumers who desire to purchase entertain-
ment and sporting event tickets are entitled to full,
complete, and clear disclosure of any such additional
charges or fees;
(3) the failure by sellers and resellers of enter-
tainment and sporting event tickets to provide full,
complete, and clear disclosure of any such additional
charges or fees constitutes an unfair and deceptive
act or practice in or affecting commerce within the
meaning of section 5 of the Federal Trade Commis-
sion Act (15 U.S.C. 45);
(4) sellers and resellers of entertainment and
sporting event tickets should be required to disclose
to potential purchasers of such tickets the amount of
any additional fees and charges beyond the face
amount of such tickets, and to have the amount of
such charges or fees imprinted on the ticket or on
a receipt evidencing any such ticket sale; and
(5) the Federal Trade Commission should con-
duct a study and issue a report to the Congress con-
cerning practices by and relationships between per-
sons involved in entertainment and sporting events
(such as promoters, facility owners and operators,
performers, and sellers and resellers of tickets) and
to make recommendations based on such study to
achieve better disclosure, information, access, and
value for consumers who seek to purchase entertain-
ment or sporting event tickets.
SEC. 3. DISCLOSURE OF SERVICE CHARGES OR ADDI-
TIONAL TICKET FEES.
It is unlawful for any seller or reseller (including any
ticket broker) of entertainment or sporting event tickets—
(1) to fail to disclose to a purchaser of an en-
tertainment or sporting event ticket, prior to any
purchase of such ticket, any fee, charge, or assess-
ment (other than a tax or other levy imposed pursu-
ant to Federal, State, or local law) to be imposed in
excess of the face amount of the ticket, and
(2) to fail to have the amount of any such fee,
charge, or assessment imprinted on the ticket or on
a receipt evidencing any such ticket sale.
SEC. 4. ENFORCEMENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3 shall be enforced by the
Federal Trade Commission under the Federal Trade Com-
mission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.). Consequently, no ac-
tivity which is outside the jurisdiction of that Act shall
be affected by this Act.
(b) ACTIONS
BY
THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMIS-
SION.—The Federal Trade Commission shall prevent any
person from violating section 3 in the same manner, by
the same means, and with the same jurisdiction, powers,
and duties as though all applicable terms and provisions
of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et
seq.) were incorporated into and made a part of this Act.
Any person who violates section 3 shall be subject to the
privileges and immunities provided in the Federal Trade
Commission Act in the same manner, by the same means,
and with the same jurisdiction, power, and duties, as
though all applicable terms and provisions of the Federal
Trade Commission Act were incorporated into and made
a part of this Act.
(c) TREATMENT OF VIOLATIONS.—Any violation of
section 3 shall be treated as a violation of a rule under
section 18 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15
U.S.C. 57a) regarding unfair or deceptive acts or prac-
tices.
(d) EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.—Nothing contained
in this Act shall be construed to limit the authority of the
Federal Trade Commission under any other provision of
law.