What's happening
This bill requires ticket distributors in New York to refund ticket purchasers within 45 days after a canceled or rescheduled event.
Why it matters
Strengthens consumer protections. by ensuring ticket buyers can get their money back in a timely manner when an event is canceled or rescheduled, reducing uncertainty and financial risk for consumers.
Creates a clear deadline for refunds (45 days),. which adds accountability for ticket distributors and gives consumers a predictable timeframe, rather than leaving refunds open-ended or subject to company policies.
May impact ticket market practices. by pressuring ticket sellers and resellers to improve transparency and efficiency in their refund processes, possibly influencing national standards beyond New York.
Supports public trust in live events. by making it safer for people to buy advance tickets, knowing they have a legal guarantee of a prompt refund if things don’t go as planned.
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Who cares
Advance ticket buyers
Purchasers requesting refunds would be entitled to the full ticket purchase price within 45 days after the originally scheduled event date.
Ticket distributors
Distributors selling advance tickets in or from New York would face an explicit deadline for issuing requested refunds when events are cancelled or rescheduled.
Theater, concert and sporting event operators
Cancellations and schedule changes would trigger a deadline for ticket distributors to return the full purchase price to buyers requesting refunds.
Headline styles
Guarantee Ticket Refunds Quickly
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to tourism, parks, arts and sports development
- Referred to tourism, parks, arts and sports development
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
579
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development
AN ACT to amend the arts and cultural affairs law, in relation to requiring ticket distributors to refund the purchase price of tickets within forty-five days after a cancelled or rescheduled event
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 23.08 of the arts and cultural affairs law, as added by chapter 517 of the laws of 1988, is amended to read as follows:
1. Any ticket distributor who offers or sells to the public in or from the state of New York, advance tickets of admission to events to be held in places of entertainment, or who contracts for the sale of such advance tickets of admission, and accepts in advance partial or full payment of the purchase price therefor, shall, no later than the next business day after receipt thereof, deposit all such advance payments in an escrow account in a bank, trust company, savings bank, or state or federal savings and loan association, located in this state. A separate escrow account shall be established for each place of entertainment. Monies deposited in escrow shall be released upon performance of each event for which such monies have been deposited to the extent that such monies represent payment for advance tickets sold for the performed event. The person who offers or sells advance tickets shall not be required to keep in separate depository accounts the funds of the separate ticket purchasers from whom payments have been received, provided [his] such person's books of account shall clearly show the number of tickets sold at each price for each theatrical production, concert or sporting event for which a separate escrow account has been established, and the total amount of advance ticket revenues. Each advance ticket purchaser shall, until the performance of the event for which the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02132-01-5
advance ticket has been purchased, retain a property interest in that portion of the deposit which equals the amount [he] such advance ticket purchaser has paid for such advance ticket, and shall be entitled to a refund for such amount if the performance of the event for which such ticket has been purchased in advance has been cancelled or rescheduled, except as provided for by subdivision three of this section. Upon the rescheduling or cancellation of a performance, or a request for a refund by a ticket purchaser, the ticket distributor shall refund the full purchase price of a ticket to each ticket purchaser requesting a refund within forty-five days after the originally scheduled date of the performance or the event.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.