| 1 | 1 | | 89R3236 PRL-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Vasut H.B. No. 839 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to a limitation on the percentage of state lottery money |
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| 10 | 10 | | paid as prizes to winning ticket holders. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 466.355(b), Government Code, is amended |
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| 13 | 13 | | to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b) Money in the state lottery account may be used only for |
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| 15 | 15 | | the following purposes and shall be distributed as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) the payment of prizes to the holders of winning |
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| 17 | 17 | | tickets, provided the payment of prizes in a fiscal biennium may not |
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| 18 | 18 | | exceed an amount equal to 40 percent of the gross revenue accruing |
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| 19 | 19 | | from the sale of tickets in that biennium; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) the payment of costs incurred in the operation and |
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| 21 | 21 | | administration of the lottery, including any fees received by a |
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| 22 | 22 | | lottery operator, provided that the costs incurred in a fiscal |
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| 23 | 23 | | biennium may not exceed an amount equal to 12 percent of the gross |
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| 24 | 24 | | revenue accruing from the sale of tickets in that biennium; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) the establishment of a pooled bond fund, lottery |
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| 26 | 26 | | prize reserve fund, unclaimed prize fund, and prize payment |
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| 27 | 27 | | account; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (4) the balance, after creation of a reserve |
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| 29 | 29 | | sufficient to pay the amounts needed or estimated to be needed under |
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| 30 | 30 | | Subdivisions (1) through (3), to be transferred on or before the |
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| 31 | 31 | | 15th day of each month as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (A) the portion of the balance attributable to |
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| 33 | 33 | | the lottery game operated under Section 466.027 to the fund for |
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| 34 | 34 | | veterans' assistance established by Section 434.017; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (B) the remainder to the foundation school fund. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 2. Section 466.355, Government Code, as amended by |
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| 37 | 37 | | this Act, applies beginning with the state fiscal biennium |
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| 38 | 38 | | beginning September 1, 2025. |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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