House passes Rep. Ruben Gallego-backed bill to curb hidden 'junk' fees on ticket sales
The House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that would require event ticket sellers to display the total cost to consumers upfront, including “junk” fees that are often hidden until checkout.
The bill, dubbed the Transparency In Charges for Key Events Ticketing, or "TICKET," Act is one provision of a larger piece of legislation that Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., introduced in 2023. It would create similar rules for other transactions such as air travel and hotel room purchases.
“We’ve all been there — you select a concert ticket at one price, but by the time you get to check out, fees have made the cost nearly double,” Gallego, who is running for the Senate, said in a written statement. “But it’s not just ticket sellers that are abusing hidden junk fees. I’ll keep fighting to fully pass my Junk Fee Prevention Act and put an end to hidden junk fees on all services.”
White House economists have estimated that in 2023, junk fees associated with event tickets cost consumers about $7 billion.
The TICKET Act, sponsored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support, including from most of Arizona’s congressional delegation, by a vote of 388-24.
Arizona’s three most conservative members of Congress — Republican Reps. Eli Crane, Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar — voted against the bill.
Zach Kahler, a Crane spokesperson, said Crane voted "no" on the bill because it expands the federal government and "unnecessarily" gives the Federal Trade Commission power to regulate private sales.
Biggs and Gosar's offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., who is staying in Arizona while he undergoes treatment for cancer, did not vote.
While Wednesday’s measure passed in a landslide, other consumer protections have not been as universally celebrated.
Many conservatives backed a legal challenge to the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the watchdog agency established in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to enforce consumer protection laws. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the CFPB’s structure in a decision announced Thursday.
GOP lawmakers have argued that the CFPB isn’t subject to enough congressional oversight.
Republicans and business groups have challenged other consumer protection proposals recently backed by President Joe Biden’s administration, like establishing an $8 cap on many credit card late fees.
Likewise, several large airlines are suing the Biden administration over rules requiring greater transparency for air ticket sales.
The TICKET Act now awaits approval by the Senate and, if passed, will be sent to Biden’s desk.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: House passes Gallego-led bill to curb 'junk' fees