HOTDOG Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6859 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6859

 To direct the Federal Trade Commission to conduct a study on certain 
         concession pricing practices, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 18, 2025

Mr. Goldman of New York (for himself, Mr. Deluzio, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Garcia 
   of California, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr. Veasey, Mr. Carter of 
 Louisiana, and Mr. Thanedar) introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Federal Trade Commission to conduct a study on certain 
         concession pricing practices, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may cited as the ``Honest Oversight of Ticketed Dining and 
Onsite Grub Act'' or the ``HOTDOG Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Many sports venues receive significant public 
        investments through direct grants, State and local tax credits, 
        economic development incentives, and tax-exempt bonds.
            (2) In 2025, the cost of concessions at major sporting 
        events and concerts are unaffordable for the average American 
        family.
            (3) At Madison Square Garden, the average price of a beer 
        is $16, more than twice the average in New York City, making it 
        the third most expensive among NBA arenas.
            (4) At Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, beer 
        costs $10 on average, which is double the price fans would pay 
        at a nearby bar across the street.
            (5) Fans across music concerts and professional sports, 
        including the National Basketball Association, National 
        Football League, National Hockey League, and Major League 
        Baseball, face exorbitant concession prices in addition to 
        already high-ticket costs.
            (6) Street pricing, a model that aligns concession pricing 
        inside a venue with prices for comparable items in surrounding 
        communities, has been adopted by certain venues to make 
        concessions more affordable, producing benefits for both 
        businesses and consumers.
            (7) Fans and travelers attending events at venues supported 
        by their tax dollars deserve clear, transparent, and fair 
        pricing of food and beverage concessions.

SEC. 3. STUDY ON CONCESSION PRICING PRACTICES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall conduct a study with 
respect to concession pricing practices at a nationwide sample of 
covered venues that includes information relating to the following:
            (1) The price of food and drink items offered for sale by 
        such venues.
            (2) A comparison between such prices and the price of the 
        same or similar food and drink items offered for sale by the 
        communities surrounding such venues, including bars and 
        restaurants.
            (3) Pricing practices at such venues, including the use of 
        any of the following by such venues:
                    (A) Dynamic pricing.
                    (B) Service fees.
                    (C) Promotions such as value deals.
            (4) The extent to which such venues disclose the price of 
        food and drink items offered for sale by such venues prior to 
        purchase, including by listing such prices online and 
        disclosing such prices at the point of entry of such venues.
            (5) Consumer-friendly pricing policies that balance 
        consumer access to affordable food and drink items with the 
        cost of venue operations, including price caps on the price of 
        such food and drink items and menu options for such food and 
        drink items offered at a reduced price.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report that 
includes information relating to the following:
            (1) The results of the study conducted under subsection 
        (a).
            (2) Recommendations for legislative, regulatory, and 
        industry action with respect to improving affordability and 
        transparency with respect to concession pricing practices.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Trade Commission.
            (2) Covered venue.--The term ``covered venue'' means a 
        stadium or arena that--
                    (A) is used for a professional sports exhibition or 
                game, a music concert, or any other comparable event 
                (as determined by the Commission) for at least 5 days 
                per year;
                    (B) was constructed or operated with funds from a 
                public subsidy, including funds from a direct grant, a 
                State or local tax credit, an economic development 
                incentive, or a tax-exempt bond;
                    (C) requires ticketed entry for consumers; and
                    (D) offers food and drink items for sale to such 
                consumers.
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, 
        territory or possession of the United States, and each 
        federally recognized Indian Tribe.
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