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CA AB 1349

NIVA, Top Orgs Urge CA Lawmakers To Vote No On Ticket Bill

California bill AB 1349 puts venues at risk say NIVA, 28 music and consumer groups, and ask fans, artists and venues to take action today.

,   and  Bruce Houghton
NIVA, Top Music and Consumer Groups Urge CA Lawmakers To Vote No On Ticket Bill AB 1349

The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), California’s live music community and 28 top U.S. music industry and consumer organizations have issued an urgent Monday call to action against bill AB 1349. Details on how to oppose the bill are below.

Originally introduced by CA Assembly member Isaac Bryan to limit resale, ban limit speculative ("fake") ticketing and prohibit deceptive resale websites, the bill was drastically altered following heavy secondary market lobbying efforts.

As amended in the Senate, AB 1349 exposes independent venues, festivals, and promoters to significant legal liability while explicitly carving out exemptions for secondary ticket marketplaces like StubHub.

Legislation meant to protect live music is increasingly being twisted by secondary market lobbyists. In California, StubHub spent as much as $2.6 million to alter the legislation. That effort was reportedly greater than spending by Chevron, Verizon, AT&T and OpenAI this quarter.

NIVA leadership, including Executive Director Stephen Parker and CA Chapter President Joe Rinaldi, are among those urging all independent venue operators, staff, musicians, and live music fans to contact their state legislators before the California Senate votes on Monday afternoon.

4 Ways Amended AB 1349 Harms California’s Live Music Industry

According to the coalition AB 1349:

  • Exposes Venues to Lawsuits for Reseller Speculative Ticketing: Creates a private right of action allowing lawsuits over speculative ticket sales that target primary presenters, festivals, and venues, while leaving out the actual secondary platforms where those fake tickets are listed and sold.
  • Reclassifies Standard Primary Sales as "Resale": Re-designates routine primary ticketing practices—such as artist presales, official waitlists, and VIP packages—as "reseller" transactions under state law.
  • Exempts Secondary Ticket Marketplaces: Explicitly shields secondary resale platforms from being classified as speculative ticket sellers, despite hosting virtually all speculative ticket listings.
  • Strips Seat and Row Transparency: Removes the requirement for secondary listings to display seat and row numbers—eliminating the most direct way for fans and enforcement officials to verify a ticket actually exists before money changes hands.

Coalition Supporting the Effort

NIVA and California's independent stages are aligned alongside a broad coalition of music industry organizations, labor unions, and community leaders dedicated to protecting artists, stages, and fans:

  • American Association of Independent Music (A2IM)
  • American Federation of Musicians
  • Artist Rights Alliance
  • Black Music Action Coalition
  • California African American Chamber of Commerce
  • California Arts Advocates
  • California Black Chamber of Commerce
  • California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
  • California League of United Latin American Citizens
  • California Live Events Equity Alliance
  • California Multicultural Business Alliance
  • Central Valley Latino Mayors & Elected Officials Coalition
  • Central Valley Yemen Society
  • City of Thousand Oaks
  • Fan Alliance
  • Folk Alliance International
  • Future of Music Coalition
  • Hispanic 100
  • Latin Business Association
  • Music Managers Forum - US
  • National Action Network Sacramento
  • National Independent Talent Organization (NITO)
  • Recording Academy
  • Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
  • SAG-AFTRA
  • Si Se Puede Fresno, Tulare, Kings & Kern
  • Songwriters of North America
  • Venue Pilot

How To Take Action To Stop AB 1349

The California State Senate will take up AB 1349 on Monday afternoon. Independent stages and live music supporters that oppose the bill need to submit comments immediately to ensure state representatives vote NO.

  1. Submit the Opposition Form: Take two minutes to Fill Out the Official NIVA CA Action Form Here to send an automated message directly to your State Senator and Assemblymember.
  2. Personalize Your Impact: Add a sentence detailing a specific venue, stage, or community contribution, explaining how increased lawsuit exposure could force local doors to close.
  3. Spread the Word: Forward this alert to your venue staff, fellow operators, artists, and music fans throughout California.