,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ebgh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #f1    
#bjbf,mr4 ,lujn introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,commerce1        
,science1 and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill
  ,to prohibit the speculative sale of  
event tickets1 and for other purposes4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,guaranteeing ,honest ,ownership
 in ,secondary ,ticketing ,act or the   
,,ghost ,act4  #b4 ,definitions  ,in    
this ,act3 7#a7 ,actual possession ,the 
term actual possession1 with respect to 
an event ticket1 means physical or      
virtual possession of an event ticket   
issued by a ticket issuer4  7#b7        
,commission ,the term ,commission means 
the ,federal ,trade ,commission4  7#c7  
,event2 event ticket2 ticket issuer ,the
 terms event1 event ticket1 and ticket  
issuer have the meanings given such     
terms in the ,better ,online ,ticket    
,sales ,act of #bjaf 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4     

#de;c74  7#d7 ,reseller ,the term       
reseller means a person engaged in the  
resale of event tickets that is not the 
original ticket issuer4  #c4            
,prohibition on speculative ticketing   
,it shall be unlawful for any reseller  
to sell1 offer for sale1 or advertise   
for sale an event ticket unless such    
reseller has actual possession of such  
event ticket4  #d4 ,enforcement  7a7    
,enforcement by the ,commission  7#a7   
,unfair or deceptive acts or practices  
,a violation of section #c shall be     
treated as a violation of a rule        
defining an unfair or deceptive act or  
practice under section #ah7;a77#a77;,b7 
of the ,federal ,trade ,commission ,act 
7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eg;a7a77#a77;,b774  7#b7
 ,powers of the ,commission  7,a7 ,in   
general ,except as provided in          
paragraphs 7#c7 and 7#d71 the           
,commission shall enforce section #c in 
the same manner1 by the same means1 and 
with the same jurisdiction1 powers1 and 
duties as though all applicable terms   

and provisions of the ,federal ,trade   
,commission ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #da et  
seq47 were incorporated into and made a 
part of this ,act4  7,b7 ,privileges and
 immunities ,any person who violates    
section #c or a regulation promulgated  
thereunder shall be subject to the      
penalties and entitled to the privileges
 and immunities provided in the ,federal
 ,trade ,commission ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 
#da et seq474  7,c7 ,authority preserved
 ,nothing in this section shall be      
construed to limit the authority of the 
,commission under any other provision of
 law4  7,d7 ,rulemaking ,the ,commission
 shall promulgate in accordance with    
section #eec of title #e1 ,united       
,states ,code1 such rules as may be     
necessary to carry out this ,act4  7#c7 
,civil action ,if the ,commission has   
reason to believe that any person has   
violated section #c1 the ,commission may
 bring a civil action in an appropriate 
district court of the ,united ,states to
 seek appropriate relief1 including     

equitable monetary relief4  7#d7 ,civil 
penalty  7,a7 ,in general ,in addition  
to any other penalty prescribed by law1 
any person who violates section #c shall
 be liable for-- 7i7 a civil penalty of 
not less than #ae1jjj for each day      
during which the violation occurs or    
continues to occur2 and  7ii7 an        
additional civil penalty equal to the   
greater of-- 7,i7 #a1jjj per event      
ticket sold1 offered for sale1 or       
advertised for sale in violation of this
 ,act2 or  7,,ii7 an amount equal to the
 sum of the total price for each event  
ticket sold1 offered for sale1 or       
advertised for sale in violation of this
 ,act1 multiplied by #e4  7,b7 ,enhanced
 civil penalty for intentional          
violations ,in addition to the civil    
penalty under subparagraph 7,a71 a      
person who intentionally violates       
section #c shall be liable for a civil  
penalty of not less than #aj1jjj per    
event ticket sold1 offered for sale1 or 
advertised for sale in violation of this

 ,act4  7#e7 ,complaint website  7,a7   
,in general ,not later than #ahj days   
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,commission shall create a    
publicly available website where        
individuals may report violations of    
this ,act and the ,better ,online       
,ticket ,sales ,act of #bjaf 7#ae       
,u4,s4,c4 #de;c74  7,b7 ,cooperation    
with ,state attorneys general ,as       
appropriate1 the ,commission shall share
 reports received through the website   
created under subparagraph 7,a7 with    
,state attorneys general4  7#f7 ,report 
to ,congress ,not later than #ahj days  
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 and annually thereafter1 the      
,commission shall submit to ,congress a 
report on enforcement metrics1 activity1
 and effectiveness under this ,act and  
the ,better ,online ,ticket ,sales ,act 
of #bjaf 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #de;c74  7b7    
,enforcement by the ,states  7#a7 ,in   
general ,in any case in which the       
attorney general of a ,state has reason 

to believe that an interest of the      
residents of the ,state has been or is  
threatened or adversely affected by the 
engagement of any person in a practice  
that violates section #c1 the attorney  
general of the ,state may1 as parens    
patriae1 bring a civil action on behalf 
of the residents of the ,state in an    
appropriate district court of the       
,united ,states-- 7,a7 to enjoin further
 violation by such person2  7,b7 to     
compel compliance with the requirements 
of this ,act2 and  7,c7 to obtain       
damages1 restitution1 or other          
compensation on behalf of such          
residents4  7#b7 ,investigatory powers  
,nothing in this section may be         
construed to prevent the attorney       
general of a ,state from exercising the 
powers conferred on the attorney general
 by the laws of the ,state to conduct   
investigations1 to administer oaths or  
affirmations1 or to compel the          
attendance of witnesses or the          
production of documentary or other      

evidence4  7#c7 ,venue2 service of      
process  7,a7 ,venue ,any action brought
 under paragraph 7#a7 may be brought    
in-- 7i7 the district court of the      
,united ,states that meets applicable   
requirements relating to venue under    
section #acia of title #bh1 ,united     
,states ,code2 or  7ii7 another court of
 competent jurisdiction4  7,b7 ,service 
of process ,in an action brought under  
paragraph 7#a71 process may be served in
 any district in which the defendant--  
7i7 is an inhabitant2 or  7ii7 may be   
found4  7#d7 ,actions by other ,state   
officials  7,a7 ,in general ,in addition
 to civil actions brought by attorneys  
general under paragraph 7#a71 any other 
consumer protection officer of a ,state 
who is authorized by the ,state to do so
 may bring a civil action under         
paragraph 7#a71 subject to the same     
requirements and limitations that apply 
under this subsection to civil actions  
brought by attorneys general4  7,b7     
,savings provision ,nothing in this     

section may be construed to prohibit an 
authorized official of a ,state from    
initiating or continuing any proceeding 
in a court of the ,state for a violation
 of any civil or criminal law of the    
,state4  #e4 ,effective date  ,this ,act
 shall take effect on the date that is  
#fj days after the date of enactment of 
this ,act4