Pallone Advances TICKET Act After Musk Blocked Consumer Reform Last Year

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced that the bipartisan TICKET Act—a major consumer protection bill to crack down on deceptive ticketing practices—was approved today by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Pallone, the Committee’s top Democrat, helped broker a bipartisan agreement last year to pass the bill, but it was blocked by Republicans at the eleventh hour after Elon Musk tweeted his opposition to the legislative package, which included the Pascrell-Pallone provision to deliver transparency and major savings to concertgoers.

“We had a deal to pass the TICKET Act last year as part of a broader spending agreement but that deal was blown up by a tweet from billionaire Elon Musk,” said Pallone. “A billionaire torpedoed a bipartisan consumer protection package, and Republicans let it happen. Today’s vote moves us one step closer to finally delivering relief for fans.”

The TICKET Act requires upfront pricing for all live event tickets, bans speculative ticket listings, guarantees refunds for canceled or postponed events, and prohibits misleading resale sites. 

Pallone has long championed consumer protections in the ticketing industry, introducing the BOSS and SWIFT Act in 2023 alongside his late colleague, Congressman Bill Pascrell (NJ-09). Key provisions from that bill are included in the TICKET Act.

“My friend Bill Pascrell was a fearless advocate for fairness in the ticketing marketplace,” Pallone said. “He knew what a racket this system had become, and he fought every day to make it better for fans. Today’s vote reflects years of work we did together to stop hidden fees, deceptive websites, and price gouging.”

Pallone also criticized President Donald Trump’s executive order on ticket pricing, signed last week, as a hollow alternative to real legislative action.

“Trump’s executive order was nothing more than a headline grab. If Republicans are serious about fixing this broken system, they should work with us to bring the TICKET Act up for a vote on the House floor right away,” Pallone said. “Our bill actually delivers real reforms that consumers have been demanding for years.”

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over consumer protection and the ticketing industry, passed the TICKET Act with bipartisan support during Tuesday’s markup. The bill must now be passed by the full House.