California Ticket Resale Cap Bill Fails in Senate Committee

A California bill that would have capped the resale price of concert tickets at 10% above face value has died after facing intense lobbying from the ticket resale industry. The legislation, known as AB 1720 or the California Fans First Act, was held on the suspense file by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, August 13, effectively ending its path forward for the current legislative session.

The bill, introduced in February by San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney, aimed to curb predatory ticket scalping by limiting resale markups for live entertainment events. It was later amended to apply only to independent venues with capacities of 3,000 or fewer, a change that narrowed its scope but did not secure its passage. The measure had garnered support from a coalition including the National Independent Venue Association, the Music Artists Coalition, and Live Nation, who argued it would deter scalpers by preventing listings with extreme markups.

Opposition came primarily from secondary ticketing platforms. StubHub spent a record $3.4 million lobbying in California during the first half of 2026, with a significant portion directed at fighting this bill and related...