California AB 1349 ticketing bill heads to Governor Newsom

California Assembly Bill 1349 has passed the state Legislature and is heading to Governor Gavin Newsom for signature. The bill aims to crack down on speculative ticket sales, introduce anti-bot measures, and ban fraudulent ticket-selling websites.

The final version of the legislation includes new language that protects the rights of venues and professional sports teams to withhold, reserve, and allocate ticket inventory for business purposes. These amendments led to a sudden reversal in support from several industry groups. The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), which had previously helped architect the bill, joined a coalition of 28 music and venue organizations in a last-minute campaign to urge lawmakers to reject the measure.

In contrast, the Coalition for Ticket Fairness has hailed the bill’s passage as a victory for consumers. Spokesperson Geoff Vetter stated that the legislation provides meaningful recourse for consumers when sellers engage in bad behavior and strengthens existing protections in California.