State Rep. Mike Harris today highlighted his recently introduced plan to keep ticket prices affordable by cracking down on automated bots that buy large quantities of event tickets for resale.

While praising President Donald Trump’s Monday executive order that directed federal authorities to enforce relevant federal laws against illegal ticket scalping practices, Harris said the Michigan Legislature should build on that step and pass the bipartisan plan he introduced weeks ago to penalize ticket bot operators who violate purchase limits, obtain excessive amounts of tickets, and resell them at higher prices.

“President Trump is following the law and cracking down on malicious scalpers who exploit fans who just want to crack up at a comedy show or rock out at a concert,” said Harris, R-Waterford. “This is great news for eventgoers across the country, and the state can help. Our bipartisan plan will give state prosecutors tools to go after bot-powered scalping and protect Michiganders from over-the-top ticket prices.”

Harris, R-Waterford, and Rep. Mike McFall, D-Hazel Park, introduced House Bills 4262 and 4263 in March. The bipartisan plan is often dubbed the “Taylor Swift” bills because of the rampant use of ticket bots to buy up Swift concert tickets. The consumer protection legislation will help address the growing frustration among Michigan residents who have faced countless hurdles and disappointments in their attempts to secure tickets to popular events.

Under House Bills 4262 and 4263, the Michigan Department of Attorney General would be empowered to pursue legal action against individuals or groups circumventing online ticket purchasing limits through the use of automated bots. The legislation includes punitive measures, including civil fines of up to $5,000 per ticket fraudulently obtained.

“People shouldn’t have to scour ticket resale websites and pay jacked up prices just to attend a Taylor Swift concert,” Harris said. “But too many fans never get a chance to buy fairly priced tickets, because bad actors use bots to break the rules, load up on tickets, and profit off fans’ misfortune. Our bipartisan plan will take this problem and ‘Shake It Off’ by cracking down on unethical scalpers.”

There is a growing national consensus to create state-level consumer protection legislation against the use of bots for ticket purchasing. Several states, like Arizona and Iowa, have passed or are advancing similar pieces of legislation.

An identical bill package passed the House last session with bipartisan support but did not move out of Senate committee.