I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6568 
To prohibit speculative ticketing as an unfair or deceptive act or practice, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 4, 2023 
Mr. ARMSTRONG (for himself, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, and Mr. BILIRAKIS) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce 
A BILL 
To prohibit speculative ticketing as an unfair or deceptive 
act or practice, 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 ‘‘Speculative Ticketing 
Oversight and Prohibition Act’’ or the ‘‘STOP Act of 
2023’’. 
SEC. 2. SPECULATIVE TICKETING BAN. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—Beginning 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, a ticket issuer, sec-
ondary market ticket issuer, or secondary market ticket 
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exchange that does not have actual or constructive posses-
sion of an event ticket shall not sell, offer for sale, or ad-
vertise for sale of such event ticket. 
(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to prohibit a secondary market 
ticket issuer or secondary market ticket exchange from of-
fering a service to a consumer to obtain an event ticket 
on behalf of the consumer if the secondary market ticket 
issuer or secondary market ticket exchange complies with 
the following: 
(1) Does not market or list the service as an 
event ticket. 
(2) Maintains a clear, distinct, and easily dis-
cernible separation between the service and event 
tickets through unavoidable visual demarcation that 
persists throughout the entire service selection and 
purchasing process. 
(3) Clearly and conspicuously discloses before 
selection of the service that the service is not an 
event ticket and that the purchase of the service 
does not guarantee an event ticket. 
(4) In the event the service is unable to obtain 
the specified event ticket purchased through the 
service for the consumer, provides the consumer that 
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purchased the service, within a reasonable amount of 
time— 
(A) a full refund for the total cost of the 
service to obtain an event ticket on behalf of 
the consumer; or 
(B) subject to availability, a replacement 
event ticket in the same or a comparable loca-
tion with the approval of the consumer. 
(5) Does not obtain more tickets in each trans-
action than the numerical limitations for tickets set 
by the venue and artist for each respective event. 
SEC. 3. DECEPTIVE WEBSITES. 
A ticket issuer, secondary market ticket issuer, or 
secondary market ticket exchange— 
(1) shall provide a clear and conspicuous state-
ment, before a visitor purchases an event ticket from 
the ticket issuer, secondary market ticket issuer, or 
secondary market ticket exchange that the issuer or 
exchange is engaged in the secondary sale of event 
tickets; 
(2) shall not state that the ticket issuer, sec-
ondary market ticket issuer, or secondary market 
ticket exchange is affiliated with or endorsed by a 
venue, team, or artist, as applicable, unless a part-
nership agreement has been executed, including by 
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using words like ‘‘official’’ in promotional materials, 
social media promotions, search engine optimization, 
paid advertising, or search engine monetization un-
less the issuer or exchange has the express written 
consent of the venue, team, or artist, as applicable; 
and 
(3) shall not use a domain name, or any sub-
domain thereof, in the URL of the ticket issuer, sec-
ondary market ticket issuer, or secondary market 
ticket exchange that contains— 
(A) the name of a specific team, league, or 
venue where concerts, sports, or other live en-
tertainment events are held, unless authorized 
by the owner of the name; 
(B) the name of the exhibition or perform-
ance or of another event described in subpara-
graph (A), including the name of a person, 
team, performance, group, or entity scheduled 
to perform at any such venue or event, unless 
authorized by the owner of the name; 
(C) any trademark or copyright not owned 
by the ticket issuer, secondary market ticket 
issuer, or secondary market ticket exchange, in-
cluding any trademark or copyright owned by 
an authorized agent or partner of the venue or 
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event identified in subparagraphs (A) and (B); 
or 
(D) any name substantially similar to 
those described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), 
including any misspelling of any such name. 
SEC. 4. REFUND REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) CANCELLATION.—Beginning 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, if an event is canceled 
or postponed (except for a case in which an event is can-
celed due to a cause beyond the reasonable control of the 
ticket issuer, including a natural disaster, civil disturb-
ance, or otherwise unforeseeable impediment), a ticket 
issuer, secondary market ticket issuer, or secondary mar-
ket ticket exchange shall provide the consumer, at the op-
tion of the purchaser, at a minimum— 
(1) a full refund for the total cost of the event 
ticket, any event ticket fee, and any tax; or 
(2) subject to availability, if the event is post-
poned, a replacement event ticket, in the same or a 
comparable location, once the event has been re-
scheduled, with the approval of the consumer. 
(b) DISCLOSURE OF GUARANTEE AND REFUND POL-
ICY REQUIRED.—Beginning 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, a ticket issuer, secondary market 
ticket issuer, or secondary market ticket exchange shall 
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