Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed a new ticket resale law into effect last week, and singer-songwriter Noah Kahan played a direct role in getting it there.
Kahan testified earlier this year before the Vermont State Senate in support of bill H.512, which caps ticket resale prices in the state at 110 percent of their original value for concerts, sporting events, and other live entertainment. According to The Hollywood Reporter, which received a copy of his testimony, the singer made a direct appeal to lawmakers on behalf of fans and artists alike.
"As an artist that cares deeply about the fan experience and accessibility of concert tickets, this bill is a critical step in eliminating predatory resale behaviors and offer Vermonters a great solution for exchanging and reselling tickets on a safe marketplace," Kahan said in his testimony.
Kahan also thanked the governor and senate members directly. "This means a whole lot to the artist community and fans and consumers of music and concerts," he added.
Vermont's law is part of a broader national movement. Maine passed legislation in 2025 capping resale prices at 10 percent above face value. New York and California lawmakers introduced similar bills this year as well. The National Independent Venue Association has backed these efforts for years, arguing that ticket scalpers acquire tickets ahead of actual fans and then list them at steep markups. Proponents of resale caps say removing the profit motive is the only effective way to stop scalping.
Secondary ticketing services such as StubHub have pushed back against caps, arguing that ticket holders should be free to do as they wish with tickets they have purchased.
Kahan's Vermont testimony follows earlier efforts he has made on his own tours. For his Great Divide Tour, Kahan used identity-check software on Ticketmaster to block bots from purchasing tickets. He also implemented a face-value exchange that allows tickets to be resold only at their original purchase price.
The 29-year-old is in the middle of a record-breaking year. His album The Great Divide debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last month, giving Kahan his first chart-topper. It had the third biggest week for an album this year at the time of its release. The Great Divide follows Kahan's breakthrough album Stick Season, which helped move him from club venues to stadium headlining slots. He announced the new album in late January and debuted the music video for its first single during a commercial break at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
