SEAT Act of 2025

The SEAT Act of 2025 would require third-party restaurant reservation services (like online booking platforms) to have a written contract with each food service establishment before they may list, promote, sell, or otherwise make reservations for that establishment. If a platform lacks such an agreement or a contractual designee that has rights from the establishment, it may not publish or offer reservations for that establishment. The bill would give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the authority to enforce this rule as an unfair or deceptive practice under the FTC Act, with penalties and remedies carried over from the FTC framework. The act would take effect 180 days after enactment and also bar any contract term that requires an establishment to indemnify the third-party service or its agents for damages caused by the service. In short, the law is aimed at ensuring that third-party reservation platforms can only operate with proper authorization from each establishment, with FTC enforcement and protections against unbalanced indemnification terms.