BOSTON (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The State Senate of Massachusetts's Consumer Affairs and Professional Licensure Committee is currently considering a newly proposed bill that would ease the cap the fees attached to event tickets to 12 dollars and include a 5 cent fee to the state for administration. The bill, if passed, would be the first of its kind in the US but is not considered to be viable in its current form. The previous limit, largely ignored, was set in 1927 and limited the markup to a mere $2 dollars above the stated value of the ticket.
As reported by the Boston Globe, the bill was proposed by Senator Michael W. Morrissey (D – Quincy) puts a face on a growing sentiment within the legislature and the wider public at large that the law has become ineffective. Little enforcement has been done, legislators claiming that the current law does not provide for sufficient funding for effective enforcement.
The issue has returned to public prominence in the wake of a number of high profile lawsuits and counter-suits that have been enjoined by The New England Patriots and online ticket reseller Stubhub.com. While that debate is over resale tickets, the bill in question also encompasses retail tickets as well. The bill includes language that would require all ticket vendors to obtain a license from the state and provide a surety bond to safeguard against a fee induced by a violation of the law.
The new pricing structure is not as simple as it looks. The bill also includes a separate limit of 8 dollars on "transaction fees" and also includes provisions for "venue fees" of up to 3 dollars as well. Violators of the law would face fines and then possible jail time for repeated offenses. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
