Enacts into law components of legislation that relate to live event ticket sales; institutes civil penalties for utilizing ticket purchasing software; institutes new penalties for second offenses for licensees and for any person, firm, corporation or entity who is made aware of the utilization of ticket purchasing software and does not notify the attorney general of such utilization (Part A); establishes an annual professional reseller renewal fee; requires professional ticket resellers to provide their New York state ticket reseller license number as a condition of utilizing an online resale marketplace to resell tickets (Part B); provides criteria for when a purchaser may obtain a full refund of the amount paid for a ticket; permits a refund when a purchaser cannot attend an event due to a medical necessity (Part C); relates to resale requirements for tickets; requires that if a licensee or other ticket reseller doesn't have possession of the ticket, then they shall have a written contract to obtain the offered ticket at a certain price from a person or entity in possession of the ticket or from a person or entity who has a contractual right to obtain such ticket, and tickets to the event have been placed on sale by the venue or entity hosting the event or its authorized agent before the licensee or reseller can advertise the sale of the tickets (Part D); relates to unlawful charges in connection with tickets; permits reasonable charges for costs actually rendered or otherwise in connection to customer support, technological and software infrastructure, and actual operational costs for sales away from the box office; defines terms (Part E); relates to the availability of tickets for sale to the general public; defines a term (Part F); reduces the minimum seating capacity requirement for a professional sports organization membership pass to over thirteen thousand five hundred seats in a venue or stadium (Part G); prohibits exclusivity clauses in contracts between operators of places of entertainment and primary ticket vendors (Part H); relates to the resale of tickets included in a subscription or season ticket package (Part I).
S00276 is a comprehensive live-event ticketing reform bill that amends multiple sections of New York’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Law and the General Obligations Law. Across nine parts, it targets ticket resale practices, hidden inventory, refund rights, fee disclosures, and contractual restrictions in the primary and secondary ticket markets. The bill would impose permanent license bars and civil penalties for use of ticket-purchasing software (“bots”), create annual renewal fees for professional resellers, and require online resale marketplaces to verify and display New York reseller license numbers.
The bill also expands consumer protections. It would require full refunds in a broader set of circumstances, including cancellations, certain postponements, and tickets that do not match their description, and it would require resellers to honor refund, exchange, and credit remedies that primary sellers offer to original purchasers. It further limits when tickets may be advertised or sold before the reseller has possession or a binding contract for them, restricts certain fees and price practices, requires disclosure of the number of tickets withheld from public sale, and bars exclusivity clauses between venues and primary ticket vendors. It also modifies rules for professional sports membership passes and season-ticket resale restrictions.
If enacted, the bill would significantly expand state regulation of ticket brokers, resale platforms, venues, and primary ticket sellers. It would add new licensing, disclosure, and fee requirements under the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law, create new enforcement authority and penalties for bot use and non-reporting, and amend the General Obligations Law to invalidate exclusive primary-ticket-vendor contracts. The bill would also alter consumer refund rights and resale practices for live events, affecting concerts, sports, theaters, and other entertainment venues, while carving out certain exceptions for smaller venues and specified recreational facilities.
The bill appears generally consumer-protective and reform-oriented, with an emphasis on transparency, anti-bot enforcement, and limiting practices viewed as unfair to ticket buyers. Its structure suggests support for stronger oversight of the ticketing industry and greater access to refunds and information. No committee transcript or vote data was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee sentiment to assess beyond the bill’s text and caption.
The most notable points of contention are likely to be the bill’s restrictions on resale business models and venue/vendor contracting practices. Professional resellers and online marketplaces may object to annual fees, licensing disclosure mandates, limits on advertising tickets not yet in hand, and expanded refund obligations. Venues and primary ticket sellers may also resist provisions requiring disclosure of withheld inventory, limiting exclusivity clauses, and prohibiting certain fee or price practices. On the other hand, consumer advocates would likely support the bill’s anti-scalping, anti-bot, and refund protections, especially where it seeks to curb hidden inventory and improve transparency.