The Senate Commerce Committee passed two bipartisan bills this week that Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sponsored.
Blackburn’s first legislative proposal, the Mitigating Automated Internet Networks for (MAIN) Event Ticketing Act, requires online ticket sellers to report successful bot attacks to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Furthermore, the FTC must share submitted consumer complaints to state attorneys general on its website.
MAIN also mandates that online ticket sellers implement data security requirements and the sharing of information between the FTC and law enforcement.
This bill proposal also says that the FTC must submit a report to Congress on the BOTS enforcement. BOTS Act was a bill signed by former President Barack Obama to prevent ticket scalpers from using software to buy expensive tickets.
Blackburn also introduced the BOTS Act in the House with Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY-20).
“Fans shouldn’t have to fight bots and scammers when trying to buy tickets online, and I’m thrilled the Commerce Committee has moved the MAIN Event Ticketing Act one step closer to becoming law so we can protect consumers in the online ticket marketplace,” Blackburn said.
The second of Blackburn’s bills, the Enhancing First Response Act, would update the classification of 9-1-1 dispatchers from clerical workers to protective service workers in the Standard Occupational Classification.
Federal agencies use this classification “to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In addition, the bill says that the Federal Communications Commission shall have an annual hearing and report on 9-1-1 dispatchers’ unavailability during natural disasters.
This report would make suggestions for the 9-1-1 system to prevent future service disruptions.
This legislative proposal was also sponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
“The Commerce Committee also passed my bipartisan Enhancing First Response Act, which would make important updates to our 9-1-1 emergency reporting system and prevent service disruptions,” Blackburn explained.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected].
Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by Marsha Blackburn.
