S-0563.1                   _______________________________________________

                                                     SENATE BILL 5080

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Senators Talmadge and von Reichbauer

Read first time 01/13/93.  Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

Regulating the sale and resale of admission tickets.

          AN ACT Relating to the sale and resale of admission tickets; adding a new section to chapter 9.91 RCW; and prescribing penalties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 9.91 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) For the purposes of this section, "commercial ticket reseller" means a person or entity who in the normal course of business purchases admission tickets from individuals or official ticket sales outlets at the box office price for the purpose of reselling the tickets to individuals at a price higher than the box office price.  The advertised price must include all handling, service, convenience, or other charges that must be paid by the purchaser to obtain the ticket.

          (2) It is unlawful:

          (a) To fail to refund, within thirty days of a written request, the advertised price of an admission ticket or card, for any cancelled event;

          (b) For a commercial ticket reseller to fail to include the price or range of prices of tickets or cards available to an event in any print advertisement of the event.  For purposes of this section, tickets or cards available at the event itself, for which no handling, service, convenience, or other charges must be paid, shall not be included in the range of ticket prices; or

          (c) For a commercial ticket reseller to sell an admission ticket or card on which the name of the person conducting the event and the price are not conspicuously and indelibly printed, stamped, or written, or to sell or offer to sell an admission ticket or card  at a price in excess of the advertised price.

          (3) The legislature finds that the practice of selling and reselling admission tickets or cards is a matter vitally affecting the public interest for the purpose of applying the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW.  Performing any of the acts prohibited by subsection (2) of this section is not reasonable in relation to the development and preservation of business.  A violation of this section is an unfair or deceptive act in trade or commerce and an unfair trade practice for the purpose of applying the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW.

          (4) A violation of this section is a misdemeanor.  Each ticket or card sale or resale shall be considered a separate transaction and each violation of this section shall constitute a separate offense.

                                                           --- END ---