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Federal legislation addressing AM radio access, online ticket purchasing and music tourism moved forward in Congress during the week of Sept. 14, placing several parts of the music business on the legislative agenda.
According to Rebecca Auburn’s Sept. 20 report for Digital Music News, the House passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act and the American Music Tourism Act on Sept. 15. The following day, the MAIN Event Ticketing Act advanced from the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The distinction matters: The ticketing measure cleared a committee rather than the full House. The three proposals also address separate issues, from equipment in vehicles to ticketing safeguards and federal tourism promotion.
Music Tourism Measure Moves Toward Enactment
The American Music Tourism Act would direct the Commerce Department to promote international travel to American music destinations.
Its scope extends beyond concerts and festivals to include recording studios, museums, venues and other music-related attractions. Digital Music News reported that the House approved the Senate-passed version, sending the measure toward the president’s desk. Its Sept. 17 coverage did not establish a signing date. Read the publication’s report on the bill’s passage.
The proposal treats music-related travel as part of federal tourism policy. It also calls for a report examining the government’s activities and findings, creating a mechanism for reviewing the work undertaken.
For venues, festivals and communities with musical landmarks, the bill concerns how those destinations are represented in efforts to attract international visitors. It does not, by itself, establish that individual businesses will receive direct funding.
The supplied report identifies H.R. 1768 as the House proposal.
AM Radio Bill Addresses Access in Vehicles
The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, H.R. 979, seeks to preserve AM reception in new vehicles manufactured or imported for the U.S. market.
Auburn reported that the legislation passed the House and moved to the Senate. Supporters have emphasized access to emergency information alongside everyday broadcast programming.
House Speaker Mike Johnson described the House action this way in the statement reproduced by Digital Music News:
“[T]he House took a major step toward keeping AM radio in every new vehicle, ensuring our constituents never lose access to essential emergency warnings as well as some of their favorite broadcasting.”
The proposal concerns the availability of a broadcast service in vehicles. It is separate from legislation addressing how radio stations compensate recording artists and sound recording owners.
House passage is a step in the legislative process; it does not alone make the proposed requirements effective.
MAIN Event Ticketing Act Clears Committee
The MAIN Event Ticketing Act, H.R. 2713, focuses on enforcement of ticket purchase limits and efforts to prevent those restrictions from being bypassed.
The proposal would strengthen the existing Better Online Ticket Sales Act of 2016, commonly called the BOTS Act. Auburn’s report describes requirements for technological safeguards and reporting when ticketing systems are circumvented.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced the measure Sept. 16. That committee action moves it forward for further House consideration, rather than completing passage through the chamber. Read Digital Music News’ coverage of the committee vote.
A Senate counterpart is listed as S. 196.
The measure’s focus is ticket-buying practices and enforcement. Those issues are related to, but distinct from, proposals concerning upfront price disclosures, refunds and speculative ticket sales.
Other Proposals Address Pricing and Artists’ Rights
Auburn’s report also identified several other music-related measures awaiting further congressional action.
The TICKET Act, H.R. 1402, addresses ticket-pricing transparency and other consumer protections. Digital Music News previously reported its House passage in April 2025.
The Restoring Artistic Protection Act, or RAP Act, concerns restrictions on using creative expression as evidence against defendants in criminal proceedings. Its implications extend to how prosecutors present lyrics and other artistic work. Read the publication’s RAP Act coverage.
The American Music Fairness Act addresses public performance compensation for sound recordings played on terrestrial radio. That proposal concerns royalties, rather than whether vehicles must include AM receivers. Read the publication’s coverage of the measure.
Together, the proposals address different relationships within the music economy: audiences and ticket sellers, broadcasters and listeners, recording owners and radio stations, and music destinations and international travelers. Their practical effects depend on the final language enacted and the requirements that ultimately take effect.
Reporting acknowledgment: Reworked from the supplied Sept. 20, 2026, report by Rebecca Auburn of Digital Music News, with related reporting and legislative references linked throughout.
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