Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01014 Latest Draft

Bill / Comm Sub Version Filed 04/08/2019

                             
 
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General Assembly  Substitute Bill No. 1014  
January Session, 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
AN ACT CONCERNING FU NDING FOR COMPULSIVE GAMBLING 
TREATMENT AND REHABI LITATION.  
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. Section 17a-713 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 2 
(a) The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall 3 
establish a program for the treatment and rehabilitation of compulsive 4 
gamblers in the state. The program shall provide prevention, treatment 5 
and rehabilitation services for chronic gamblers. The department may 6 
enter into agreements with subregional planning and action councils 7 
and nonprofit organizations to assist in providing these services, 8 
provided not less than twenty-five per cent of the amount received 9 
pursuant to section 12-818 annually shall be set aside for contracts with 10 
subregional planning and action councils established pursuant to 11 
section 17a-671 and nonprofit organizations and not less than five per 12 
cent of the amount received pursuant to section 12-818 annually shall 13 
be set aside for a contract with the Connecticut Council on Problem 14 
Gambling. The department may impose a reasonable fee, on a sliding 15 
scale, on those participants who can afford to pay for any such 16 
services. The department shall implement such program when the 17 
account established under subsection (b) of this section is sufficient to 18 
meet initial operating expenses. As used in this section, "chronic 19  Substitute Bill No. 1014 
 
 
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gambler" means a person who is chronically and progressively 20 
preoccupied with gambling and the urge to gamble, and with 21 
gambling behavior that compromises, disrupts or damages personal, 22 
family or vocational pursuits. 23 
(b) The program established by subsection (a) of this section shall be 24 
funded by: [imposition of:] (1) [A] Imposition of a fee of one hundred 25 
thirty-five dollars on each association license, for each performance of 26 
jai alai or dog racing conducted under the provisions of chapter 226, 27 
provided no such licensee shall contribute more than forty-five 28 
thousand dollars in any one year; (2) imposition of a fee of twenty-five 29 
dollars for each teletheater performance on each operator of a 30 
teletheater facility; [and] (3) the amount received from the Connecticut 31 
Lottery Corporation pursuant to section 12-818; and (4) a transfer of 32 
two per cent of the revenue the state obtains from any forms of gaming 33 
newly enacted or authorized in this state on or after January 1, 2019. 34 
The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall collect the fee from 35 
each association licensee or such operator on a monthly basis. The 36 
receipts shall be deposited in the General Fund and credited to a 37 
separate, nonlapsing chronic gamblers treatment and rehabilitation 38 
account which shall be established by the Comptroller. All moneys in 39 
the account are deemed to be appropriated and shall be expended for 40 
the purposes established in subsection (a) of this section. 41 
(c) The department shall adopt regulations in accordance with the 42 
provisions of chapter 54 to carry out the purposes of this section.  43 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 
Section 1 from passage 17a-713 
 
PS Joint Favorable Subst.