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BOTS Act of 2016

Public Law 114-274 · S. 3183 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 14, 2016 · Commerce

Sponsor: Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS)

Cosponsors (8): Sen. Chuck Schumer,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Better Online Ticket Sales Act of 2016 or the BOTS Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill prohibits the circumvention of a security measure, access control system, or other technological measure on an Internet website or online service of a ticket issuer that is used to enforce posted event ticket purchasing limits or to maintain the integrity of posted online ticket purchasing order rules for a public event with an attendance capacity exceeding 200 persons.

The bill also prohibits the sale of or offers to sell an event ticket in interstate commerce obtained through such a circumvention violation if the seller participated in, had the ability to control, or should have known about the violation.

It shall not be unlawful, however, to create or use software or systems to: (1) investigate, or further the enforcement or defense of, alleged violations; or (2) identify and analyze flaws and vulnerabilities of security measures to advance the state of knowledge in the field of computer system security or to assist in the development of computer security products.

Violations shall be treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

The bill provides authority to the Federal Trade Commission and states to enforce against such violations.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 5104Related bill

    Better On-line Ticket Sales Act of 2016

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.

  1. Dec 14, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-274.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 12, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 7, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · Mrs. Blackburn asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
  7. FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
  8. Dec 5, 2016FloorFloor · By Senator Thune from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 114-391.
  9. Dec 1, 2016FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  10. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  11. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  12. Nov 30, 2016FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  13. Sep 27, 2016CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 648.
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  15. Sep 21, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  16. Sep 13, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 114-614.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
  18. Jul 13, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  19. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.