AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47, relative to speculative tickets.
Summary
SB0917 amends Tennessee’s consumer protection and ticket-resale laws to prohibit the sale or offering for sale of “speculative tickets” by third-party ticket resellers. A speculative ticket is defined as a ticket that is not actually or constructively in the reseller’s possession at the time it is sold, advertised, or listed, including tickets the reseller does not physically possess, own, or have under contract to transfer. The bill also bars online resale platforms or other electronic services that facilitate ticket resale from allowing speculative ticket sales.
The bill removes Tennessee Code Annotated § 47-50-119 and adds the new speculative-ticket definition to § 47-50-121. It directs the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Attorney General’s office to enforce the prohibition and create a complaint process for consumers. Violations carry a mandatory civil penalty of $5,000 per violation, with each sale, offer, or permitted listing treated as a separate violation. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies only to conduct on or after that date.
Impact
SB0917 would tighten regulation of the secondary ticket market in Tennessee by expressly banning speculative ticket sales and expanding enforcement authority for the Division of Consumer Affairs. It would affect third-party ticket resellers and online marketplaces that facilitate ticket resale, exposing them to per-violation penalties for listing or allowing the sale of tickets they do not yet possess or control. The bill also amends and deletes existing provisions in Title 47 governing ticket resale, thereby reshaping the state’s consumer-protection framework for event tickets.
Sentiment
Based on the available record, the bill appears to have a straightforward consumer-protection purpose and no recorded committee debate or vote history is available in the provided materials. The absence of transcripts or votes suggests there is no documented public controversy in the supplied context, and the measure reads as a targeted regulatory response to ticket-resale practices. Overall, the bill’s tone is protective of consumers and event buyers rather than permissive of resale activity.
Contention
The main point of contention, if any, would likely be between consumer advocates and ticket resellers or resale platforms. Supporters would view the bill as a way to curb deceptive or risky sales practices and reduce consumer harm from tickets that may never be delivered, while opponents could argue that the definition of speculative tickets is broad and that the $5,000 per-violation penalty is strict for resale businesses and online marketplaces. No specific objections or amendments are documented in the provided committee materials.