STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1354-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 3019

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Culture & Arts, to which was referred S.B. No. 3019, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Prohibit the sale of tickets at a price greater than $3 more than the primary sale price charged by the primary venue ticket provider for events held in the State; and

(2) Authorize the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to adopt rules to impose fines for any violations.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu; Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra; National Independent Venue Association; Fix the Tix Coalition; Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony; Hawaii Theatre Center; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Chamber of Progress; SeatGeek; Ticket Policy Forum; StubHub; and Progressive Policy Institute. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the National Consumers League.

Your Committee finds that popular events in the State are increasingly impacted by a form of ticket scalping in which secondary market sellers use automated software to purchase large quantities of tickets and resell them at significantly inflated prices. These practices limit fair access to tickets for local residents and consumers, as evidenced by past events where tickets were rapidly acquired and resold at excessive prices. This measure addresses these concerns by prohibiting the resale of event tickets at prices exceeding a certain amount above the original sale price, promoting fairness, transparency, and consumer protection in the event ticket marketplace.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Prohibiting the sale of tickets at a price at least ten percent, rather than $3, more than the primary sale price charged by the primary venue ticket provider; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider including provisions that prohibit the use of automated ticket-purchasing bots.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Culture & Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3019, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3019, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Culture & Arts,

____________________________

JEANNE KAPELA, Chair