Bill Text: NJ A2186 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires ticket website operators to display certain information regarding ticket availability.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee [A2186 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A2186-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblywoman YVONNE LOPEZ
District 19 (Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Stanley
SYNOPSIS
Requires ticket website operators to display certain information regarding ticket availability.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the display of certain information by website operators and amending P.L.2019, c.8 (C.56:8-35.5).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2019, c.8 (C.56:8-35.5) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. As used in this section:
"Internet domain name" means a globally unique, hierarchical reference to an Internet host or service, which is assigned through centralized Internet naming authorities and which is comprised of a series of character strings separated by periods, with the right-most string specifying the top of the hierarchy.
"Ticket website" means an Internet website advertising, offering for sale, selling, or reselling tickets to any event at a place of entertainment in New Jersey.
"Website operator" means a person owning, operating, or controlling a ticket website for any event at a place of entertainment in New Jersey.
b. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a website operator shall not sell or offer to sell a ticket to a New Jersey resident through a ticket website if the website operator intentionally uses an Internet domain name that contains any of the following:
(a) the name of the place of entertainment or any name that is substantially similar; or
(b) the name of the event or any name that is substantially similar, including the name of the person or entity scheduled to perform or appear at the place of entertainment.
(2) Paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not apply to a website operator who is authorized by the place of entertainment to act on its behalf.
c. A website operator, as defined pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.2019, c.8 (C.56:8-35.5), shall display on the website:
(1) the total number of tickets per venue that will be made available;
(2) the number of tickets that had been released to date; and
(3) the number of tickets that had been sold to date.
d. A violation of subsection b. or c. of this section is an unlawful practice pursuant to P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.).
(cf: P.L.2019, c.8, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires ticket website operators display certain information regarding ticket availability. Specifically, the bill requires website operators to display the total number of tickets per venue that will be made available; the number of tickets that had been released to date; and the number of tickets that had been sold to date.
Requiring that ticket website operators publicly display this information will create greater transparency about ticket supply and combat the practice of surge pricing, where ticket website operators greatly increase the price of tickets with high demand. Making this information available to consumers will allow them to make a more informed decision when purchasing tickets online.
