California's Bid to Curb Live Event Ticket Resale Prices Dies in Session
California’s attempt to cap live event ticket resale prices at 10% above face value was put on hold for the current legislative session. The California Senate Appropriations Committee held AB 1720, known as the California Fans First Act, on its suspense file on August 13, one day before the deadline for state fiscal committees to report bills to the floor.
The bill, introduced in February by San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney, aimed to limit resale prices of concert and live event tickets to 10% above face value, including fees. It would have also capped fees charged by resale marketplaces. The measure was amended in May to cover only independent venues with capacities under 3,000, plus certain nonprofit venues.
The bill defined an independent venue as one that derives a majority of its revenue from ticket events and is not majority-owned by a publicly traded company or operates more than 10 states. Professional sports and athletic events were exempted from the measure.
California’s Department of Justice estimated the cost of enforcing AB 1720 at around $1.6 million in fiscal year 2026–27, decreasing to about $582,000 annually thereafter. The state's Department of Finance opposed the bill at an Appropriations hearing on August 3, citing enforcement costs and the potential burden on California courts.
Asm. Matt Haney, who championed the bill, stated in a statement that he would continue pushing for solutions to address ticket resale practices. He emphasized that artists across genres have called for such measures and cited examples of other states and countries already adopting similar caps to curb predatory resale practices while allowing resales when necessary.
Despite not being able to carry over into the next session, Haney indicated his intention to reintroduce a new bill once the Legislature reconvenes in December. Ron Gubitz, Executive Director of the Music Artists Coalition, expressed gratitude for Asm. Haney's advocacy but noted that protecting fans at every show remains essential.
