WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – Chairman of the Senate Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security Subcommittee announced Thursday that his bipartisan bill, the Better Online Ticket Sales Act (S. 3183), passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The Better Online Ticket Sales Act, also known as the BOTS Act, would put an end to “ticket bots” that bypass security measures on online ticketing websites to buy large quantities of tickets for re-sell on secondary markets.

“Whether it’s a Garth Brooks concert in Wichita, or the most hyped and prestigious Broadway show of all time – Hamilton – the digital age has made acquiring tickets easier than ever,” said Sen. Moran. “But an age-old issue, ticket scalping, has been made even more prevalent by advances in technology. Ticket bots cut the line, buy available tickets, and then sell them at a significant markup – making it harder and more expensive for Kansans to attend live performances. This bipartisan bill levels the playing field for consumers across the country, and I’m pleased to see it move forward with bipartisan support.”

Chairman Moran convened a Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing last week that included testimony from Jeffrey Seller, producer of hit Broadway musical Hamilton, Big 12 Conference Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, and representatives from StubHub and Ticketfly.

Full bill text is available here.