Bill Text: HI SR65 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging The Department Of Budget And Finance To Examine Participation By The State In The Powerball And Mega Millions Multistate Lottery Games And The Allocation Of The Income From Those Games To The General Fund.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-22 - The committee on EET deferred the measure. [SR65 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2019-SR65-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	65
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

urging the department of budget and finance to examine participation by the State in the Powerball and Mega Millions multistate lottery games and the allocation of the income from those games to the general fund.

 

 

     WHEREAS, a new means of generating additional revenue is needed to fund state functions; and

 

     WHEREAS, for forty-four states, state lotteries represent a small but valuable source of revenue; and

 

     WHEREAS, on average, about one percent of state revenue comes from lotteries; and

 

     WHEREAS, nationally, in fiscal year 2015, state lotteries generated $66,800,000,000 in gross revenue; and

 

     WHEREAS, after costs for prizes, administration, and advertising, states were still left with net lottery proceeds of $21,400,000,000; and

 

     WHEREAS, the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act regulates the conduct of gaming on Indian lands; and

 

     WHEREAS, although the potential exists for a Native Hawaiian government to be federally recognized and for Native Hawaiians to obtain ownership, possession, or use of certain lands that may then become subject to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, Hawaii does not have a state lottery and

there are currently no federal lands in the State held under the premise of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, that the Department of Budget and Finance is urged to examine participation by the State in the Powerball and Mega Millions multistate lottery games and the allocation of the income from those games to the general fund of the State; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Budget and Finance is urged to examine:

 

(1)  Whether the Director of Finance (Director) should retain lottery redemption agents to perform functions, activities, or services in connection with the operation of the lottery;

 

(2)  The rules necessary to designate licensing agents to sell or distribute lottery tickets;

 

(3)  Whether a lottery ticket can be sold at a price other than that fixed by rule;

 

(4)  Whether any person who knowingly conducts any activity for which a lottery sales agent license is required, without the required license, should be penalized;

 

(5)  Whether any person that purchases a lottery ticket from an unlicensed vendor should still be entitled to any prizes they may win;

 

(6)  Whether the Director may adopt rules to establish penalties for a licensed agent who violates the Division's rules;

 

(7)  Whether licensed lottery sales agent should be allowed to sell a lottery ticket to a person using a public assistance voucher issued by any public entity or an electronic benefits transfer card issued by the Department of Human Services;

 

(8)  Whether the Attorney General and the Prosecuting Attorneys of the affected county should have concurrent jurisdiction over any offenses arising out of or in connection with the formation, management, operation, or conduct of the state lottery;

 

(9)  Whether a lottery ticket should be sold to any person under the age of eighteen;

 

(10) Whether the right of any person to a prize should be assignable;

 

(11) Whether unclaimed prize money for the prize on a winning lottery ticket should be retained for the person entitled to the prize for a given period of time after the drawing in which the prize was won;

 

(12) Whether a liability setoff program is necessary, by which state lottery prize payments may be used to satisfy debts that a person owes the State; and

 

(13) Whether a certified public accountant should be hired to perform an annual audit of all accounts and transactions of the Division for lottery games throughout the year; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Budget and Finance is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2020; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Director of Finance.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Generation of State Revenues; Mega Millions; Powerball; Lottery; Department of Budget and Finance