By Bo Tefu
Contributing Writer
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Sept. 27 authored by Assemblyman Isaac Bryan, D-Culver City, that strengthens consumer protections for Californians purchasing tickets to concerts, sporting events and other live entertainment.
Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.
“Buying a ticket shouldn’t come with hidden risks or unfair practices,” Newsom wrote on social media after signing the measure.
Under AB 1349, ticket sellers are prohibited from listing tickets before they have been officially released unless they have authorization or a legally enforceable right to receive them. Online marketplaces must also take reasonable steps to prevent speculative ticket sales on their platforms.
The law prohibits sellers from using bots, multiple accounts, email addresses or internet protocol addresses to circumvent ticket limits, presale restrictions, electronic queues and other controls. It also bans websites and advertisements designed to mislead buyers into believing they are purchasing tickets from an authorized seller, venue or event organizer.
Sellers who violate certain provisions and fail to provide a promised ticket may be held liable for twice the ticket’s contracted price. Buyers may also recover nonrefundable expenses incurred while attempting to attend an event, along with reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs.
Pastor Tecoy Porter Sr., president of the National Action Network’s Sacramento chapter, said the law establishes needed accountability.
“Buying a ticket to a concert or show shouldn’t mean entering a marketplace where the rules are stacked against you,” Porter said. “This year, we worked with a coalition of consumers, civil rights advocates, community groups and businesses to make AB 1349 stronger. Consumers deserve enforceable rules that protect them. We thank Assemblymember Bryan for his leadership, and we will keep working to make ticketing fair for every Californian.”
Jose L. Barrera, national vice president for the Far West Region of the League of United Latin American Citizens, also praised the measure.
“Californian families deserve certain protections when they buy tickets,” Barrera said. “Assemblymember Bryan listened to communities across California and delivered a bill that puts fans first. We thank him and Governor Newsom for making it law.”
Bo Tefu writes for California Black Media.
