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Panel advances bill to restrict ticket resale above face value with amendments
Summary
The committee advanced SB 1160, which would prohibit resale of tickets at prices above the original primary seller price for events in Hawaii; Attorney General recommended limiting the bill to in-state events to avoid commerce-clause issues.
The Senate committee voted to move forward Senate Bill 1160, a consumer-protection measure that would bar resale of event tickets at prices higher than the original price charged by the primary venue ticket provider for events held in Hawaii.
Witnesses included the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), which submitted written comments, and Deputy Attorney General Christopher Hahn, who recommended an amendment narrowing the bill’s scope to events held in Hawaii. Hahn said New York case law on anti‑scalping measures survived a commerce‑clause challenge due in part to a syndication fact pattern, and his office advised caution about extraterritorial application.
The Chamber of Progress, a tech‑industry association, testified in opposition in part because resale marketplaces provide consumer access and flexibility; the witness said the bill should target deceptive scalping practices rather than broad resale platforms. Multiple local theaters and individual supporters also filed testimony in favor.
Committee discussion resulted in adopting the AG’s recommended clarification that section 3 apply to events held in the state and adding a severability clause. The committee voted to pass SB 1160 with those amendments and to refer the measure to Consumer Protection and Judiciary for further review.
