SLS 20RS-125 ORIGINAL 2020 Regular Session SENATE BILL NO. 66 BY SENATOR TALBOT GAMING. Provides for a proposition election to determine whether sports wagering activities and operations will be permitted in a parish. (6/10/20) 1 AN ACT 2 To enact R.S. 18:1300.24, relative to sports wagering; to provide for a proposition election 3 to determine whether sports wagering activities and operations will be permitted in 4 a parish; to require the enactment and effectiveness of laws on licensing, regulation, 5 and taxation of sports wagering activities before such activities are permitted; and 6 to provide for related matters. 7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: 8 Section 1. R.S. 18:1300.24 is hereby enacted to read as follows: 9 ยง1300.24. Election on sports wagering 10 A.(1) At the statewide election occurring on November 3, 2020, a 11 proposition shall appear on the ballot in every parish to determine whether 12 sports wagering activities and operations shall be permitted in the parish. 13 (2) The ballot for the election shall state as follows: 14 "PROPOSITION TO AUTHORIZE SPORTS WAGERING 15 ACTIVITIES. 16 Shall sports wagering activities and operations be permitted in the parish 17 of_________________? YES ( ) NO ( )" Page 1 of 3 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 66 SLS 20RS-125 ORIGINAL 1 B. The voters shall vote for or against the proposition. A vote for the 2 proposition being a "YES" vote, and a vote against the proposition being a 3 "NO" vote. 4 C.(1) If a majority of the qualified electors in the parish voting on the 5 proposition vote for the proposition, then sports wagering activities and 6 operations shall be permitted in such parish only after state laws providing for 7 the licensing, regulation, and taxation of such activity and operations are 8 enacted and become effective. 9 (2) If a majority of the qualified electors in the parish voting on the 10 proposition vote against the proposition, then sports wagering activities and 11 operations shall not be permitted in the parish. 12 D. The secretary of state shall prepare the ballot for the election as set 13 forth in the provisions of this Section. 14 E. Except as otherwise provided by this Section, the election shall be 15 conducted in accordance with the Louisiana Election Code. 16 Section 2. R.S. 18:1300.24 shall be considered a special law for purposes of 17 Louisiana Constitution Article XII, Section 6(C)(4). 18 Section 3. The provisions of this Act shall become effective June 10, 2020. The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Dawn Romero Watson. DIGEST SB 66 Original 2020 Regular Session Talbot Present constitution provides for gambling to be defined by and suppressed by the legislature. Present constitution provides that no law authorizing a new form of gaming, gambling, or wagering will be effective nor will such gaming, gambling, or wagering be licensed or permitted to be conducted in a parish unless a referendum election on a proposition to allow such gaming, gambling, or wagering is held in the parish and the proposition is approved by a majority of those voting thereon. Present constitution provides that notwithstanding the present constitutional provisions regarding prohibited local and special laws, or any other provision of the constitution, the legislature by local or special law may provide for elections on propositions relating to allowing or prohibiting one or more forms of gaming, gambling, or wagering authorized by law. Page 2 of 3 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 66 SLS 20RS-125 ORIGINAL Proposed law provides for a proposition election to determine whether sports wagering activities and operations will be permitted in a particular parish. Provides that the proposition will be on the ballot at the statewide election occurring on November 3, 2020. Proposed law provides that if a majority of the qualified electors in the parish voting on the proposition vote "for" the proposition, then sports wagering activities and operations will be permitted in such parish only after state laws providing for the licensing, regulation, and taxation of such activities and operations are enacted and become effective. Proposed law provides that if a majority of the qualified electors in the parish voting on the proposition vote "against" the proposition, then sports wagering activities and operations will not be permitted in the parish. Designates proposed law to be a special law for purposes of constitutional requirement regarding proposition elections on gambling, gaming, or wagering. Effective June 10, 2020. (Adds R.S. 18:1300.24) Page 3 of 3 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions.