Lawmakers Support Increased Penalties for Scalping, Noise, and Stalking Offenses

Taipei: The Legislative Yuan's Internal Administration Committee has advanced amendments to the Social Order Maintenance Act, raising penalties for ticket scalping, noise disturbances, and stalking offenses. The proposed changes, reviewed on Monday, aim to deter illegal activities by significantly increasing fines. According to Focus Taiwan, the maximum fine for unauthorized reselling of transportation or entertainment tickets not intended for personal use will rise from NT$18,000 to NT$30,000. The committee also urged authorities to draft legal amendments within two months to address the scalping of medical, hospitality, and other voucher-based services, highlighting the potential for substantial illegal gains and significant consumer harm. The amendments were put forward by committee members Lo Ting-wei, Wang Hung-wei, and Lin Szu-ming of the Kuomintang (KMT), along with independent lawmaker Kao Chin Su-mei. However, Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang expressed opposition, citing existing regulations under t he Development of the Cultural and Creative Industries Act and the Sports Industry Development Act. Liu emphasized the need for separate laws by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to prevent excessive administrative discretion by police. In addition to addressing scalping, the committee approved increasing the maximum fine for noise disturbances from NT$6,000 to NT$10,000. This proposal, introduced by the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) legislative caucus and KMT lawmaker Chiu Jo-hua, aims to enhance deterrence against noise violations. Furthermore, KMT lawmakers Lu Ming-che and Yen Kuan-heng suggested raising the fine for stalking offenses from NT$3,000 to NT$30,000. The 14-member standing committee supported these proposed increases after cross-party discussions, seeking to strengthen penalties and better protect public order.