Please sign this open letter to the House Business and Labor Committee in favor of HB 128:

This bill requires that any ticket reseller clearly identify itself as a secondary reseller. It requires all resellers to state that the tickets sold by them may be higher than face value, and to provide an itemized breakdown of the resale price. It makes it illegal for any ticket reseller to try and impersonate a primary seller, including by using the name of the event, venue, artist, etc. in their domain names. It instructs the Division of Consumer Protection to enforce these rules with stiff penalties.

IF SIGNING AS AN ORGANIZATION PLEASE PUT THE CONTACT IN THE FIRST NAME FIELD AND THE ORGANIZATION NAME IN THE LAST NAME FIELD

Here is the letter:

Dear Members of the House Business and Labor Committee, 

Utah Cultural Alliance and the undersigned cultural organizations express our enthusiastic support for House Bill 128 “Consumer Ticket Protection Modifications”, sponsored by Rep. Handy.

HB 128 is important in maintaining the integrity of the performing arts sector of Utah’s economy by ensuring Utahns and visitors continue to have affordable access to live events at Utah’s many venues. Many of you are members of UCA’s cultural caucus and you know the benefits that participation in the arts and humanities, including through attendance of live events, brings to adults and children including:

      • Providing family-friendly experiences
      • Contributing to Utah’s economy 
        • Utah’s cultural sector contributes approximately $175 million to states income tax
        • Creates 112,000 Utah jobs providing $4.2 billion in earnings to Utah families
      • Increased creativity, understanding, empathy, and kindness 
        • Employers often cite creativity as a #1 valued skill in employees
        • Creativity in children is linked to higher test scores 
        • Children who participate in arts and humanities have higher graduation rates 

While Utah has the highest per capita rate of participation in live arts in the entire country, the arts and humanities sector continues to be fiscally efficient in its efforts to advance this important sector of the state’s economy. 

HB 128 is very important to Utah’s cultural organizations. We support this bill because it

        • Addresses challenges the performing arts sector has faced with fraudulent, impersonator websites 
        • Protects Utah consumers from fraud
        • Well help consumers know that they may be falling victim to extreme markups of tickets to consumers
        • HB 128 will help to maintain affordable, live performing art events for Utahns and visitors for years to come

We ask you to vote yes on this important bill for Utah’s art and humanities sector, Utah’s economy, and Utah families!

Sincerely,

The board and staff of Utah Cultural Alliance and the undersigned organizations: