NIVA Applauds Advancement of Bipartisan Main Event Ticketing Act and Urges Congress to Act
Senator Ben Ray Luján’s New GHOST Act Builds on Growing Federal Momentum for Meaningful Ticket Resale Reform Backed by Independent Small Business
Sept. 2, 2026 – Today, the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) applauded the advancement of the bipartisan MAIN Event Ticketing Act (S. 196/H.R. 2713) and called on Congress to pass the legislation, which would strengthen enforcement against illegal ticket bots and give regulators greater tools to protect fans and the live entertainment ecosystem.
The House bill, introduced by Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.), advanced out of the House Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee by voice vote this week. Its Senate companion, led by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), has cleared the Senate Commerce Committee and been placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar. NIVA applauds these bipartisan leaders for cracking down on illegal bots that shut real fans out of the ticket-buying process.
NIVA has been a leading supporter of the MAIN Event Ticketing Act. The bill would:
Strengthen the BOTS Act and require online ticket sellers to report successful bot attacks to the Federal Trade Commission, with safeguards to prevent unnecessary burdens on small businesses;
Give consumers a direct way to report suspected violations to the FTC and require the agency shares that information with state attorneys general;
Require online ticket sellers to strengthen data security and share relevant information with federal law enforcement; and
Require greater accountability for BOTS Act enforcement through regular reporting to Congress.
“Congress has an opportunity to deliver meaningful resale reform that has strong bipartisan support and the backing of countless independent stages, nonprofits, and fans,” said Stephen Parker, Executive Director of NIVA. “We thank Senators Blackburn and Luján and Representatives Harshbarger and Carter for working across the aisle to strengthen enforcement against illegal bots and protect fans. The MAIN Event Ticketing Act has momentum in both chambers and Congress should pass it.”
The federal momentum builds on a growing wave of ticketing reform across the country. In 2026, policymakers in Oregon, North Carolina, Vermont, Washington, D.C., and other jurisdictions have enacted or advanced stronger protections against speculative ticketing and other abusive resale practices.
That progress continued this week with Senator Luján’s introduction of the Guaranteeing Honest Ownership in Secondary Ticketing (GHOST) Act (S. 5278). NIVA strongly supports the bill and its nationwide ban on speculative ticketing, which would prohibit resellers from listing or selling tickets they do not actually possess. The legislation would also empower the FTC and state attorneys general to enforce the prohibition and create a federal mechanism for consumers to report potential violations of the GHOST Act and BOTS Act.
Senator Luján unveiled the GHOST Act at Taos Mothership, a NIVA member venue, where he held a roundtable with nonprofit promoters, small venue leaders, artists, and community members about speculative ticketing and other challenges facing fans and independent stages.
“We are especially grateful to Senator Luján for bringing this conversation directly to an independent stage and hearing from the people who confront these resale problems every day,” said Jayson Wylie, CEO of Taos Mesa Brewing. “Fans should never be sold a ticket that does not exist. The GHOST Act would finally establish a clear federal prohibition on this deceptive practice, and we strongly support its passage.”
As meaningful bipartisan solutions gain momentum, NIVA continues to oppose the TICKET Act (S. 281) and urges Congress not to pass it. As written, the TICKET Act fails to fully prohibit speculative ticket sales and lacks the stronger protections and enforcement that fans and independent stages so desperately need.
Congress has meaningful bipartisan ticketing reforms in front of it. NIVA urges lawmakers to pass the MAIN Event Ticketing Act and advance the GHOST Act to deliver real protections for fans, artists, and independent stages.
ABOUT NIVA
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) is the nation’s live entertainment association, representing independent venues, festivals, promoters, and presenters across the United States. NIVA works to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent stages. NIVA empowers members and their teams with member benefits, advocacy on the state, local, and federal levels, an annual industry-leading conference, and more.
NIVA led the Save Our Stages campaign, culminating in landmark legislation in 2020 that established the $16.25 billion Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, the largest arts investment in U.S. history.
NIVA is committed to equity in its support of independent stages. It seeks to create and encourage opportunities for venues, promoters, and festivals owned, operated, and staffed by people of color, women, non-binary, LGBTQ+, veterans, and people with disabilities.
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