| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 28 0674 |
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| 2 | 2 | | House Bill 455 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Representatives Powell of the 33 |
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| 4 | 4 | | rd |
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| 5 | 5 | | , McDonald III of the 26 |
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| 6 | 6 | | th |
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| 7 | 7 | | , Dubnik of the 29 |
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| 8 | 8 | | th |
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| 9 | 9 | | , |
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| 10 | 10 | | Carpenter of the 4 |
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| 11 | 11 | | th |
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| 12 | 12 | | , Newton of the 127 |
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| 13 | 13 | | th |
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| 14 | 14 | | , and others |
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| 15 | 15 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 16 | 16 | | AN ACT |
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| 17 | 17 | | To amend Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Annotated, relating to bingo, so as to provide for the information to be provided on2 |
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| 20 | 20 | | applications for bingo games; to revise the provisions regarding the properties used for bingo3 |
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| 21 | 21 | | games; to revise the limits on the number of bingo game sessions which are allowed per4 |
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| 22 | 22 | | month; to revise the amount of prize money which may be paid; to revise the compensation5 |
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| 23 | 23 | | for persons assisting in the conduct of bingo games; to provide for related matters; to repeal6 |
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| 24 | 24 | | conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7 |
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| 25 | 25 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 1.9 |
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| 27 | 27 | | Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,10 |
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| 28 | 28 | | relating to bingo, is amended by revising paragraph (6) of subsection (b) of Code11 |
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| 29 | 29 | | Section 16-12-53, relating to licensing procedure, fee, and renewal, as follows:12 |
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| 30 | 30 | | "(6) The location |
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| 31 | 31 | | locations at which the applicant will conduct the bingo games and, if13 |
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| 32 | 32 | | the premises on which the games are to be conducted is to be leased, a copy of the lease14 |
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| 33 | 33 | | or rental agreement;"15 |
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| 34 | 34 | | H. B. 455 |
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| 35 | 35 | | - 1 - 25 LC 28 0674 |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 2. |
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| 37 | 37 | | 16 |
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| 38 | 38 | | Said part is further amended by revising Code Section 16-12-57, relating to restrictions as17 |
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| 39 | 39 | | to ownership of premises utilized, as follows:18 |
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| 40 | 40 | | "16-12-57.19 |
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| 41 | 41 | | Bingo games shall be operated only on premises owned by the nonprofit, tax-exempt20 |
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| 42 | 42 | | organization operating the bingo game, on property leased by the nonprofit, tax-exempt21 |
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| 43 | 43 | | organization and used regularly |
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| 44 | 44 | | which may be used by that organization for purposes other22 |
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| 45 | 45 | | than the operation of a bingo game, or on property leased by the nonprofit, tax-exempt23 |
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| 46 | 46 | | organization operating the bingo game from another nonprofit, tax-exempt organization."24 |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 3.25 |
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| 48 | 48 | | Said part is further amended by revising Code Section 16-12-60, relating to rules and26 |
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| 49 | 49 | | regulations, as follows:27 |
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| 50 | 50 | | "16-12-60.28 |
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| 51 | 51 | | (a) A licensee that conducts or operates a bingo session shall maintain the following29 |
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| 52 | 52 | | records for at least three years from the date on which the bingo session is conducted:30 |
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| 53 | 53 | | (1) An itemized list of the gross receipts for each session;31 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (2) An itemized list of all expenses other than prizes that are incurred in the conducting32 |
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| 55 | 55 | | of the bingo session as well as the name of each person to whom the expenses are paid33 |
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| 56 | 56 | | and a receipt for all of the expenses;34 |
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| 57 | 57 | | (3) A list of all prizes awarded during the bingo session and the name and address of all35 |
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| 58 | 58 | | persons who are winners of prizes of $50.00 or more in value;36 |
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| 59 | 59 | | (4) An itemized list of the recipients other than the licensee of the proceeds of the bingo37 |
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| 60 | 60 | | game, including the name and address of each recipient to whom such funds are38 |
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| 61 | 61 | | distributed; and39 |
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| 62 | 62 | | (5) A record of the number of persons who participate in any bingo session conducted40 |
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| 63 | 63 | | by the licensee.41 |
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| 64 | 64 | | H. B. 455 |
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| 65 | 65 | | - 2 - 25 LC 28 0674 |
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| 66 | 66 | | (b) A licensee shall: |
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| 67 | 67 | | 42 |
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| 68 | 68 | | (1) Own all the equipment used to conduct a bingo game or lease such equipment;43 |
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| 69 | 69 | | (2) Display its bingo license conspicuously at the location where the bingo game is44 |
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| 70 | 70 | | conducted;45 |
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| 71 | 71 | | (3) Conduct bingo games only at the single location |
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| 72 | 72 | | locations specified in the licensee's46 |
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| 73 | 73 | | application; and47 |
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| 74 | 74 | | (4) Not conduct more than one bingo session three bingo sessions during any one48 |
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| 75 | 75 | | calendar day, which provided that each session shall not exceed five hours.49 |
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| 76 | 76 | | (c) No nonprofit, tax-exempt organization shall enter into any contract with any individual,50 |
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| 77 | 77 | | firm, association, or corporation to have such individual, firm, association, or corporation51 |
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| 78 | 78 | | operate bingo games or concessions on behalf of the nonprofit, tax-exempt organization.52 |
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| 79 | 79 | | (d) A nonprofit, tax-exempt organization shall not lend its name nor allow its identity to53 |
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| 80 | 80 | | be used by any individual, firm, association, or corporation in the operating or advertising54 |
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| 81 | 81 | | of a bingo game in which said nonprofit, tax-exempt organization is not directly and solely55 |
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| 82 | 82 | | operating the bingo game.56 |
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| 83 | 83 | | (e) It shall be unlawful for two or more nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations which are57 |
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| 84 | 84 | | properly licensed pursuant to this part to operate bingo games jointly or to operate bingo58 |
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| 85 | 85 | | games upon the same premises during any 18 hour period if doing so would result in the59 |
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| 86 | 86 | | premises being the location for more than 31 bingo sessions per month.60 |
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| 87 | 87 | | (f) It shall be unlawful to award prizes in excess of $3,000.00 $6,000.00 in cash or gifts61 |
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| 88 | 88 | | of equivalent value during any calendar week. It shall be unlawful to exceed such62 |
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| 89 | 89 | | limitation at any combination of locations operated by a single licensee or such licensee's63 |
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| 90 | 90 | | agents or employees. It shall be unlawful for two or more licensees to pyramid the64 |
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| 91 | 91 | | valuation of prizes in such manner as to exceed the limitation contained in this Code65 |
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| 92 | 92 | | section. The term 'equivalent value' shall mean the fair market value of the gift on the date66 |
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| 93 | 93 | | the gift is given as the prize in a bingo game.67 |
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| 94 | 94 | | H. B. 455 |
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| 95 | 95 | | - 3 - 25 LC 28 0674 |
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| 96 | 96 | | (g) No person or organization by whatever name or composition thereof shall take any |
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| 97 | 97 | | 68 |
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| 98 | 98 | | salary, expense money, or fees for the operation of any bingo game, except that not more69 |
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| 99 | 99 | | than $30.00 per day |
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| 100 | 100 | | $150.00 per session may be paid to one or more individuals for70 |
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| 101 | 101 | | assisting in the conduct of such games on such day during such session.71 |
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| 102 | 102 | | (h) No person shall pay consulting fees to any person for any services performed in72 |
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| 103 | 103 | | relation to the operation or conduct of a bingo game.73 |
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| 104 | 104 | | (i) A person who is a member of more than one nonprofit, tax-exempt organization shall74 |
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| 105 | 105 | | be permitted to participate in the bingo operations of only two organizations of which such75 |
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| 106 | 106 | | person is a member; provided, however, that such person shall not receive more than76 |
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| 107 | 107 | | $30.00 per day $150.00 per session for assisting in the conduct of bingo games regardless77 |
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| 108 | 108 | | of whether such person assists both organizations in the same day."78 |
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| 109 | 109 | | SECTION 4.79 |
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| 110 | 110 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.80 |
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| 111 | 111 | | H. B. 455 |
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| 112 | 112 | | - 4 - |
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