By: Thimesch H.B. No. 2444
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to prohibitions in connection with event ticket sales or
  resales on an Internet website.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle B, Title 10, Business & Commerce Code,
  is amended by adding Chapter 328 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 328.  ONLINE SALE OR RESALE OF EVENT TICKETS
         Sec. 328.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Event" means a concert, theatrical performance,
  sporting event, exhibition, show, or similar scheduled activity
  that:
                     (A)  is open to the public;
                     (B)  is held in a public or private venue; and
                     (C)  requires payment of an admission fee to
  attend the activity.
               (2)  "Event ticket" means a physical or electronic
  certificate, document, voucher, token, or other evidence of a right
  to enter an event, an entitlement to purchase a right to enter an
  event, or a right to occupy a specified seat at an event.
               (3)  "Resale" means any form of transfer of possession
  or an offer of transfer of possession, including an offer of
  transfer of the entitlement to possession, of an event ticket, made
  by any means from a person other than the ticket issuer.
               (4)  "Resale ticket agent" means a person who directly
  or indirectly makes event tickets available for resale to the
  public.
               (5)  "Ticket issuer" means a person who directly or
  indirectly makes event tickets available for sale to the general
  public.
         Sec. 328.002.  PROHIBITIONS REGARDING ONLINE EVENT TICKET
  SALES OR RESALES. (a)  A person may not sell, use, or cause to be
  used any method, technology, device, or software in the sale or
  resale of event tickets on a ticket issuer's or resale ticket
  agent's Internet website that:
               (1)  functions as a bypass in the ticket purchasing
  process;
               (2)  disguises the identity of the ticket purchaser;
               (3)  permits the purchase of a quantity of event
  tickets in a number that exceeds the maximum number of tickets that
  may be sold to one purchaser as specified by the event owner or
  operator on the website; or
               (4)  circumvents a security measure, access control
  system, or other control, authorization, or measure in the ticket
  purchasing process.
         (b)  A person may not decode, decrypt, modify, or reverse
  engineer an event ticket or an underlying algorithm or barcode used
  in the ticket's production or on any Internet website in the sale or
  resale of the ticket.
         Sec. 328.003.  ENFORCEMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL; INJUNCTION.  
  (a)  The attorney general may investigate a claim that a person
  violated this chapter.
         (b)  If the attorney general believes that a person is
  violating or about to violate this chapter, the attorney general
  may bring an action in the name of the state to restrain or enjoin
  the person from violating this chapter.
         (c)  The attorney general is entitled to recover all
  reasonable costs of bringing an action under this section,
  including court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and
  investigation costs.
         SECTION 2.  Section 328.002, Business & Commerce Code, as
  added by this Act, applies to a purchase that occurs on or after the
  effective date of this Act, regardless of whether any event tickets
  were issued before that date.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.