Michigan House passes "Taylor Swift bills" to crackdown on ticket bots, scalpers

(CBS DETROIT) - Michigan lawmakers passed an $83 million budget and several other bills during a 19-hour session before their summer recess.

Among the other bills is a bipartisan plan to crack down on automated ticket bots that keep fans from getting tickets to see their favorite artists.

House Bills 5661 and 5662 were passed and are dubbed the "Taylor Swift" bills because tickets for Swift's Eras Tour sold out within minutes but were immediately listed on resale websites for thousands of dollars.

The bills were sponsored by Rep. Graham Filler, R-Duplain Township, and Rep. Mike McFall, D-Hazel Park.

Under the plan, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel would be allowed to pursue legal action against people using bots to snag tickets, and a fine of up to $5,000 would be imposed for each fraudulently purchased ticket.

In 2020, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer repealed a ban on ticket resales above face value, meaning reselling tickets for a profit has been legal in the state since then, but under the law, tickets must be owned by the person selling them and not have been purchased by bots. But this hasn't been enforced.

"The passage of this legislation is a decisive step in ensuring fairness and transparency in online ticket sales," McFall said after the bills were passed. "This policy marks a victory for fans and consumers who have long been frustrated by automated bots snatching up tickets in seconds. People don't want to continuously face these relentless machines that hoard tickets. They create a false sense of demand, resulting in skyrocketing prices. These outrageous prices aren't beneficial to neither the artist nor their fans. By imposing penalties on those who use these unethical tactics, we are protecting genuine buyers and ensuring everyone has an equal chance to enjoy live events."