HOUSE BILL No. 5916

March 20, 2008, Introduced by Rep. Farrah and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform.

A bill to amend 1931 PA 328, entitled

"The Michigan penal code,"

by amending section 465 (MCL 750.465).

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

Sec. 465. (1) The owner, lessee, operator, or manager of each

theatre, circus, athletic grounds used for an athletic game, or

place of public entertainment or amusement shall have printed on

each ticket issued for admission to, or for a seat of, the theatre,

circus, athletic grounds, or place of public entertainment or

amusement, in conspicuous type, the price of the ticket, and the

number on the seat when each seat is numbered. The owner, lessee,

operator, or manager also shall print or endorse on the ticket the

charge in excess of the box office price at which the ticket is

sold if the ticket is purchased at a location other than the box

office where the event occurs and the following statement: "This

ticket may be purchased at the box office price without the

surcharge by purchasing the ticket at the box office where the

event is scheduled to occur."

(2) A person owning, occupying, managing, or controlling a

building, room, park or enclosure for the sale of tickets for a

theatre, circus, athletic game, or place of public entertainment or

amusement, who asks, demands, or receives from a person for the

sale of the ticket to a theatre, circus, athletic grounds, or place

of public entertainment or amusement, a price in excess of 150% of

the general admission advertised or charged for the same privilege,

or a person, who by himself or herself or his or her agent or

employee, offers for sale upon a public place or thoroughfare, a

ticket to a theatre, circus, athletic grounds, or place of public

entertainment or amusement, for admission to, or for a seat or

other privilege in a theatre, circus, athletic grounds, or place of

public entertainment or amusement, at a price in excess of 150% of

that demanded or received from the general public for the same

privilege, or in excess of the advertised or printed rate, shall be

punished as provided in subsection (6), except if the request,

demand, or receipt is with the written permission of the owner,

lessee, operator, or manager of the theatre, circus, athletic

grounds, or place of public entertainment or amusement where the

event occurs. If the owner, lessee, operator, or manager permits,

in writing, a charge in excess of 150% of the box office price, the

permission shall be limited to the sales of tickets at locations

other than the box office where the event occurs.

(3) Except as provided in subsections (1) and (2), a person

shall not establish an agency or suboffice for the sale of a seat

ticket of admission to a theatre, circus, athletic grounds, or

place of public entertainment or amusement at a price greater than

150% of the sale of a seat ticket at the box office of the theatre,

circus, athletic grounds, place of public entertainment or

amusement, or in excess of the advertised price of the seat ticket.

(4) Except as provided in subsections (1) and (2), the owner,

lessee, operator, or occupant of a building, room, enclosure, or

other place open to the public, who permits a person to sell or

exhibit for sale in the building, room, enclosure, or other place

open to the public, 1 or more tickets for a theatre, circus,

athletic grounds, or place of public entertainment or amusement,

for more than 150% of the price printed on the ticket, shall be

liable and guilty equally as the person.

(5) If the owner, lessee, operator, or manager of a circus,

theatre, athletic grounds, or place of public entertainment or

amusement has sold a ticket or admission to a person, under

restrictive conditions and at a less rate than the general

admission charged, and whose name appears on the face of the ticket

or is registered in the office of the owner, lessee, operator, or

managers as the holder of the ticket and if it is printed on the

face of the ticket that the ticket is nontransferable and sold only

to the person whose name appears on the face of the ticket or is

registered, the holder of the ticket shall not sell the ticket to

another person, and a person selling the ticket shall be punished

as provided in subsection (6).