The Legislative Yuan today passed draft amendments to increase fines for ticket scalping, noisy behavior and stalking.
Under the changes to the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法), the maximum penalty for buying transportation or entertainment tickets with the intention to resell them for profit would increase from NT$18,000 to NT$30,000 (US$602 to US$1,003).
The penalty for disturbing public tranquility and getting drunk and rowdy, despite having been dissuaded, would also increase from NT$6,000 to NT$10,000.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs
Another passed amendment, proposed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Lu Ming-che (魯明哲) and Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒), would increase fines for stalking without justifiable reason, despite having been dissuaded, from NT$3,000 to NT$30,000.
Previously, several lawmakers including independent Legislator May Chin (高金素梅) and KMT legislators Lo Ting-wei (羅廷瑋), Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) and Lin Szu-ming (林思銘) proposed expanding the definition of “ticket scalping.”
Relevant authorities are required to study and suggest legal amendments on a potential expanded definition, including food, hospitality and medical care, within the next two months.
An additional resolution passed by the Legislative Yuan specified that the law addresses minor violations through administrative penalties.
Scalping tickets for arts, cultural performances and sporting events are subject to criminal penalties specified in the Development of the Cultural and Creative Industries Act (文化創意產業發展法) and Sports Industry Development Act (運動產業發展條例) respectively.
To curb scalping by both targeting the source and increasing oversight, the resolution also said that authorities overseeing tickets or vouchers for medical services, food or hospitality are to consider their own amendments within two months to curb scalping in their own fields.
In a statement, the Ministry of the Interior said that although tickets for arts or sporting events are already covered by anti-scalping regulations in other laws, it asks ticket management authorities to consider ways of amending regulations to limit the practice.
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