04/04/2006 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

           SB 312-CONCERT OR ATHLETIC EVENT PROMOTERS                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CON BUNDE  announced SB 312 to be up  for consideration. He                                                               
disclosed that  he has a  possible conflict because his  son puts                                                               
on  concerts.  He  explained  that   the  idea  behind  having  a                                                               
promoter's license  is that if  someone chooses to be  a promoter                                                               
and sell advance tickets to an  event - whether it's a concert or                                                               
an athletic  event - and then  for some reason would  not be able                                                               
to provide  the concert, the  bond that is  called for in  SB 312                                                               
would allow the  state to at least  partially reimburse consumers                                                               
who  had purchased  the advance  tickets.  He viewed  this is  as                                                               
consumer protection  legislation that would also  provide revenue                                                               
to the state in the form of licensing fees.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
RICK  URION, Director,  Division of  Corporations, Business,  and                                                               
Professional  Licensing,  Department  of  Commerce,  Community  &                                                               
Economic  Development   (DCCED),  explained  that   his  division                                                               
licenses 13 promoters  at this time and the licenses  cost $375 a                                                               
year. Promoters are  also required to have a $5,000  bond or cash                                                               
deposit. No  one has lost  money while  he has been  the director                                                               
and  he has  received only  one  complaint about  a promoter  who                                                               
didn't have  a bond. He also  heard a rumor about  someone losing                                                               
money in Anchorage a while ago.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. URION  suggested that  the committee  might want  to consider                                                               
whether it  wants to expand SB  312 to cover promoters  of boxing                                                               
and any  event in which  tickets are  sold in advance  because it                                                               
might be more inclusive than they would like.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:38:33 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR RALPH SEEKINS noted that the bill contained exemptions.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BUNDE explained  that if  a promoter  wants to  put on  an                                                               
event for a non-profit, the profits  have to go to the non-profit                                                               
rather than to the private entity that might be using its name.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR SEEKINS  asked if  university or  school-sponsored events                                                               
would be 502(c)(3)s that would be covered under this bill.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. URION responded that he assumed those would be nonprofits.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE asked  his staff to get a Department  of Law opinion.                                                               
He then said SB 312 would be set aside.