SCR 173: CONVENING A TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS EVENT TICKET SCALPING IN HAWAII.

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	173
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		H.D. 1

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

CONVENING A TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS EVENT TICKET SCALPING IN HAWAII.

 

 

     WHEREAS, live entertainment, cultural performances, and sporting events contribute to the social, cultural, and economic vitality of the State and provide shared community experiences for residents and visitors alike; and

 

     WHEREAS, residents must often travel between islands or to the mainland to attend many events, raising the costs for local residents to begin with; and

 

     WHEREAS, in recent years, ticket resellers have begun intentionally purchasing large quantities of event tickets within seconds of their release, dramatically driving up the cost by as much as ten to twenty times the original ticket price, and then forcing local residents who wish to attend that were unable to purchase a ticket within the first few seconds of release to purchase tickets through the ticket resellers at significantly inflated, exploitive prices; and

 

     WHEREAS, ticket resellers have also begun to resell event tickets at significantly inflated prices even before the tickets were made available for sale in the first place, frequently leaving ticket buyers who thought they had purchased a ticket without an actual ticket to the event; and

 

     WHEREAS, the supermajority of all tickets purchased for resale are resold by only a few large ticket resellers on the mainland, such as StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats; and

 

     WHEREAS, the automated purchasing practices of ticket resellers that limit fair access to event tickets by local residents and allow the tickets to be rapidly relisted on secondary marketplaces at significantly inflated prices are commonly referred to as a form of ticket scalping; and

 

     WHEREAS, consumers may be unaware that tickets offered for sale online are resale tickets priced substantially higher than the original face value established by artists, promoters, or primary venue ticket providers; and

 

     WHEREAS, ticket scalping places an unfair financial burden on families and residents who wish to attend events within the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State's geographic isolation and limited number of large entertainment venues make the State uniquely vulnerable to ticket scalping because residents do not have alternative event locations within reasonable travel distance; and

 

     WHEREAS, when ticket resellers practice ticket scalping, residents are often forced to pay excessive markups or forgo attending events entirely; and

 

     WHEREAS, revenues generated through ticket scalping frequently flow to out-of-state or offshore resale operators, rather than circulating within the State's local economy and supporting local businesses, workers, and event-related industries; and

 

     WHEREAS, fair ticketing practices benefit local residents, enable cheaper and easier access to entertainment, and ensure revenues remain within the State; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that a task force is convened to address event ticket scalping in the State; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to:

 

     (1)  Evaluate the impacts of ticket scalping and inflated ticket resales on the State;

 

     (2)  Examine and recommend solutions to minimize and prevent the impacts of ticket resale and scalping practices that drive up event ticket costs and limit event ticket accessibility for local residents;

 

     (3)  Engage Hawaii stakeholders, including local families, artists, venues, and the general public, and submit an initial report to the Legislature, including any findings and recommendations, to identify and analyze the impact of ticket scalping in Hawaii;

 

     (4)  Engage with government regulators and stakeholders, such as consumer protection agencies in other states and jurisdictions, and submit a subsequent report to the Legislature, including any findings and recommendations, on policy options and successes to address the impacts of ticket scalping and resale on local families, artists, venues, and the general public; and

 

     (5)  Engage with industry ticket resellers and entities profiting from ticket resale or scalping, and submit a final report to the Legislature, including any findings and recommendations, for the best options to minimize and prevent the impacts of ticket resale and scalping practices that drive up event ticket costs and limit event ticket accessibility for local residents; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to be co-chaired by the Chairs of the House of Representatives and Senate Standing Committees with primary jurisdiction over culture and the arts; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the membership of the task force is requested to consist of invited members, including:

 

     (1)  The Executive Director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Office of Consumer Protection, or their designee;

 

     (2)  Hawaii producers and promoters of events, or their representatives;

 

     (3)  Hawaii artists and performers, or their representatives;

 

     (4)  Hawaii event venues, or their representatives;

 

     (5)  Hawaii patrons of events, or their representatives; and

 

     (6)  Other relevant stakeholders as may be invited by the Chairs of the task force; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Office of Consumer Protection and the Chairperson of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

 

 

Report Title:

Task Force; Ticket Scalping; Report

 

 

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	173
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

convening a task force to address EVENT ticket scalping in Hawaii.

 

 

     WHEREAS, live entertainment, cultural performances, and sporting events contribute to the social, cultural, and economic vitality of the State and provide shared community experiences for residents and visitors alike; and

 

     WHEREAS, residents must often travel between islands or to the mainland to attend many events, raising the costs for local residents to begin with; and

 

     WHEREAS, in recent years, ticket resellers have begun intentionally purchasing large quantities of event tickets within seconds of their release, dramatically driving up the cost by as much as ten to twenty times the original ticket price, and then forcing local residents who wish to attend that were unable to purchase a ticket within the first few seconds of release to purchase tickets through the ticket resellers at significantly inflated, exploitive prices; and

 

     WHEREAS, ticket resellers have also begun to resell event tickets at significantly inflated prices even before the tickets were made available for sale in the first place, frequently leaving ticket buyers who thought they had purchased a ticket without an actual ticket to the event; and

 

     WHEREAS, the supermajority of all tickets purchased for resale are resold by only a few large ticket resellers on the mainland, such as StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats; and

 

     WHEREAS, the automated purchasing practices of ticket resellers that limit fair access to event tickets by local residents and allow the tickets to be rapidly relisted on secondary marketplaces at significantly inflated prices are commonly referred to as a form of ticket scalping; and

 

     WHEREAS, consumers may be unaware that tickets offered for sale online are resale tickets priced substantially higher than the original face value established by artists, promoters, or primary venue ticket providers; and

 

     WHEREAS, ticket scalping places an unfair financial burden on families and residents who wish to attend events within the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State's geographic isolation and limited number of large entertainment venues make the State uniquely vulnerable to ticket scalping because residents do not have alternative event locations within reasonable travel distance; and

 

     WHEREAS, when ticket resellers practice ticket scalping, residents are often forced to pay excessive markups or forgo attending events entirely; and

 

     WHEREAS, revenues generated through ticket scalping frequently flow to out-of-state or offshore resale operators, rather than circulating within the State's local economy and supporting local businesses, workers, and event-related industries; and

 

     WHEREAS, fair ticketing practices benefit local residents, enable cheaper and easier access to entertainment, and ensure revenues remain within the State; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that a task force is convened to address event ticket scalping in the State; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to:

 

     (1)  Evaluate the impacts of ticket scalping and inflated ticket resales on the State;

 

     (2)  Examine and recommend solutions to minimize and prevent the impacts of ticket resale and scalping practices that drive up event ticket costs and limit event ticket accessibility for local residents;

 

     (3)  Engage Hawaii stakeholders, including local families, artists, venues, and the general public, and submit an initial report to the Legislature, including any findings and recommendations, to identify and analyze the impact of ticket scalping in Hawaii;

 

     (4)  Engage with government regulators and stakeholders, such as consumer protection agencies in Hawaii and other states and jurisdictions, and submit a subsequent report to the Legislature, including any findings and recommendations, on policy options and successes to address the impacts of ticket scalping and resale on local families, artists, venues, and the general public; and

 

     (5)  Engage with industry ticket resellers and entities profiting from ticket resale or scalping, and submit a final report to the Legislature, including any findings and recommendations, for the best options to minimize and prevent the impacts of ticket resale and scalping practices that drive up event ticket costs and limit event ticket accessibility for local residents; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to be co-chaired by the Chairs of the House of Representatives and Senate Standing Committees with primary jurisdiction over culture and the arts; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the membership of the task force is requested to consist of invited members, including:

 

     (1)  Hawaii producers and promoters of events, or their representatives;

 

     (2)  Hawaii artists and performers, or their representatives;

 

     (3)  Hawaii event venues, or their representatives;

 

     (4)  Hawaii patrons of events, or their representatives; and

 

     (5)  Other relevant stakeholders as may be invited by the Chairs of the task force; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Chairperson of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

 

 

Report Title:

Task Force; Ticket Scalping; Report

 

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	173
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		Proposed

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

convening a task force to address EVENT ticket scalping in the STATE.

 

 

     WHEREAS, live entertainment, cultural performances, and sporting events contribute to the social, cultural, and economic vitality of the State and provide shared community experiences for residents and visitors alike; and

 

     WHEREAS, residents must often travel between islands or to the mainland to attend many events, raising the costs for local residents to begin with; and

 

     WHEREAS, in recent years, ticket resellers have begun intentionally purchasing large quantities of event tickets within seconds of their release, dramatically driving up the cost by as much as ten to twenty times the original ticket price, and then forcing local residents who wish to attend that were unable to purchase a ticket within the first few seconds of release to purchase tickets through the ticket resellers at significantly inflated, exploitive prices; and

 

     WHEREAS, ticket resellers have also begun to resell event tickets at significantly inflated prices even before the tickets were made available for sale in the first place, frequently leaving ticket buyers who thought they had purchased a ticket without an actual ticket to the event; and

 

     WHEREAS, the supermajority of all tickets purchased for resale are resold by only a few large ticket resellers on the mainland, such as StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats; and

 

WHEREAS, the automated purchasing practices of ticket resellers that limit fair access to event tickets by local residents and allow the tickets to be rapidly relisted on secondary marketplaces at significantly inflated prices are commonly referred to as a form of ticket scalping; and

 

     WHEREAS, consumers may be unaware that tickets offered for sale online are resale tickets priced substantially higher than the original face value established by artists, promoters, or primary venue ticket providers; and

 

WHEREAS, ticket scalping places an unfair financial burden on families and residents who wish to attend events within the State; and

 

WHEREAS, the State's geographic isolation and limited number of large entertainment venues make the State uniquely vulnerable to ticket scalping because residents do not have alternative tour locations within reasonable travel distance; and

 

     WHEREAS, when ticket resellers practice ticket scalping, residents are often forced to pay excessive markups or forgo attending events entirely; and

 

     WHEREAS, revenues generated through ticket scalping frequently flow to out-of-state or offshore resale operators, rather than circulating within the State's local economy and supporting local businesses, workers, and event-related industries; and

 

     WHEREAS, fair ticketing practices benefit local residents, enable cheaper and easier access to entertainment, and ensure revenues remain within the State; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that a task force is convened to address event ticket scalping in the State; and   

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to:

 

     (1)  Evaluate the impacts of ticket scalping and inflated ticket resales on the State;

 

     (2)  Examine and recommend solutions to minimize and prevent unfair ticketing practices that drive up event ticket costs and limit event ticket accessibility for local residents; and

 

     (3)  Submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Sessions of 2027 and 2028; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to be co-chaired by the Chairs of the House of Representatives and Senate Standing Committees with primary jurisdiction over culture and the arts; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the membership of the task force is requested to consist of invited members, including:

 

     (1)  Producers and promoters of events in the State;

 

     (2)  Owners of event venues in the State;

 

     (3)  Patrons of events in the State; and

 

     (4)  Other relevant stakeholders as may be invited by the Chairs of the task force, particularly government agencies in other places that have already experienced success addressing ticket scalping and related issues; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Chairperson of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

 

 

Report Title:

Task Force; Ticket Scalping; Report

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	173
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

urging the department of Land and natural resources to assess the impact of jug line fishing and to adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, necessary to address any concerns raised by the assessment.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, protecting Hawaii's marine life is vital to maintaining ocean ecosystems for present and future generations; and

 

     WHEREAS, jug line fishing typically involves deploying offshore floating jugs, bobbers, or other buoyant devices to suspend baited hooks in the ocean and often targets large fish species, requiring the use of thick and strong, or high-test, fishing lines; and

 

     WHEREAS, jug line fishing is different from hand-pole fishing in that with jug line fishing, gear can be largely unattended, allowing for passive fishing of large areas with minimal gear, effort, or follow up to retrieve gear; and

 

     WHEREAS, jug line fishing is a largely non-selective fishing practice that poses major threats to marine life, frequently resulting in the hooking, entanglement, or injury of non-target species, including sharks and protected green sea turtles, and presenting a severe risk to endangered species, such as the Hawaiian monk seal and hawksbill sea turtle; and

 

     WHEREAS, jug lines often become marine debris when they are lost, cut, or otherwise left in the ocean; and

 

WHEREAS, once in the ocean, this gear can persist for years, continuing to pollute coastal and offshore areas, damage delicate coral reefs, and pose a serious threat to marine life through entanglement; and

 

     WHEREAS, in September 2025, the Department of Land and Natural Resources reported the death of RS34, a two-year-old female Hawaiian monk seal known as Moana, which was caused by a jug line fishing method; and

 

WHEREAS, wildlife officials determined that the use of high-test line and buoyant jugs significantly increased the risk of gear loss and entanglement, resulting in fatal consequences for the Hawaiian monk seal; and

 

WHEREAS, this incident demonstrates the unsustainable nature of jug line fishing and its impact on non-target marine life; and

 

     WHEREAS, the continued use of jug lines and jug rig variant fishing methods is incompatible with responsible resource management and the State's obligation to protect marine wildlife and the marine environment of Hawaii; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is urged to assess the impact of jug line fishing and to adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, necessary to address any concerns raised by the assessment; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

DLNR; Jug Line Fishing; Administrative Rules