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# Massachusetts Bill Would Cap Ticket Resales at 110%
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-massachusetts-2026-09-24-b/
- Published: 2026-09-25T01:45:22.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-25T01:45:22.000Z
- Description: Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has filed a plan to cap concert-ticket resales at 110% of face value, limit secondary-market fees to 10% and prohibit speculative listings, but lawmakers must approve it.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: Policy, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has formally asked lawmakers to cap concert-ticket resale prices at 110% of face value and limit secondary-market service fees to 10%, putting a statewide ticketing overhaul inside the administration’s fiscal 2026 closeout budget.

The proposal, called the Great Divide Act, was included in a $2.24 billion gross spending package [filed](https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-files-legislation-to-suspend-gas-tax-cap-ticket-prices-lower-electricity-bills-and-strengthen-maternal-health-care?ref=theamericanquorum.com) Wednesday. It is not yet law: the House and Senate must decide whether to retain the ticket provisions as they review the broader supplemental budget.

For a concert ticket originally priced at $100, the proposed resale ceiling would be $110 unless the artist or venue authorizes a higher cap through a written agreement. Resale platforms such as StubHub and SeatGeek could charge service fees of no more than 10% of the listed resale price for both sporting and nonsporting events.

## Ghost tickets and deceptive sites

The measure also would ban “speculative” listings—tickets offered for sale before the seller possesses them—and prohibit resale websites from falsely suggesting an affiliation with an artist or venue. Resellers also could not mislead customers about how many tickets remain available.

Healey first [announced](https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-takes-action-to-cut-concert-sports-ticket-resale-and-fees?ref=theamericanquorum.com) the framework in July after fans attending World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium reported buying resale tickets that did not exist. Her administration says secondary-market fees often approach 20% and argues the 10% ceiling would cut a typical fee roughly in half.

Industry support has come from artist, label and venue groups. A July [report](https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2026/07/22/great-divide-act-introduced/?ref=theamericanquorum.com) identified the Recording Industry Association of America, National Independent Venue Association, Music Artists Coalition and several independent-music organizations among supporters. New England singer-songwriter Noah Kahan also endorsed the plan.

## What the proposal would—and would not—control

The bill targets the secondary market rather than the original price set by an artist, promoter or venue. It therefore would not prevent high face values, dynamic pricing in the primary market or limited ticket supply. Its immediate effect would be to constrain markups and fees after the initial sale and reduce the risk that buyers pay for inventory a reseller never held.

For lawmakers, the central tradeoff is whether stricter resale limits improve affordability without pushing legitimate transactions toward less transparent channels.

The proposal resembles ticketing reforms pursued in Maine and Vermont, but trade coverage describes the Massachusetts version as relatively broad because the concert resale cap would not be limited by venue size. [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/07/17/massachusetts-gov-to-tackle-ticketing-reform-with-the-great-divide-act/?ref=theamericanquorum.com) reported that independent venue advocates view the restrictions as protection for fans, artists and local stages.

Embedding the policy in a closeout budget gives lawmakers a near-term vehicle to act, but it also ties the ticket rules to negotiations over unrelated spending and revenue provisions. Until both chambers pass matching language and Healey signs the final bill, the 110% resale ceiling, 10% fee limit and speculative-ticket ban remain proposals rather than enforceable consumer protections.