Bill Text: WV SB615 | 2013 | Regular Session | Engrossed
Bill Title: Amending table game license renewal fee for pari-mutuel racetracks
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-04-04 - To House Judiciary [SB615 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2013-SB615-Engrossed.html
ENGROSSED
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
Senate Bill No. 615
(By Senator Kessler (Mr. President))
____________
[Originating in the Committee on the Judiciary;
reported March 29, 2013.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §29-22A-10 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend and reenact 29-22C-8 of said code, all relating to providing for distribution of certain amounts of gross terminal income derived from racetrack video lottery terminals; and amending the table game license renewal fee for West Virginia pari-mutuel racetracks.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §29-22-18f; that §29-22A-10 of said code be amended and reenacted; and that §29-22C-8 of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 22. STATE LOTTERY ACT.
§29-22-18f. Creating the Lottery Administrative Reserve Fund; distribution of reserve funds.
(a) A Lottery Administrative Reserve Fund is created within the Lottery Fund. For the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2013, only, the commission shall deposit a total of $4 million, to be considered as part of its actual costs and expenses, in proportions determined in the sole discretion of the commission, from amounts distributed according to subsection (d), section eighteen, of this article, subdivision (1), subsection (b), section ten, article twenty-two-a of this chapter, subdivision (1), subsection (a), section 1408, article twenty-two-b of this chapter and subsection (e), section twenty-two, article twenty-five of this chapter.
(b) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013, only, the commission shall transfer $4 million from the Lottery Administrative Reserve Fund to the Community Based Service Fund in the State Treasury.
ARTICLE 22A. RACETRACK VIDEO LOTTERY ACT.
§29-22A-10. Accounting and reporting; commission to provide communications protocol data; distribution of net terminal income; remittance through electronic transfer of funds; establishment of accounts and nonpayment penalties; commission control of accounting for net terminal income; settlement of accounts; manual reporting and payment may be required; request for reports; examination of accounts and records.
(a) The commission shall provide to manufacturers, or applicants applying for a manufacturer's permit, the protocol documentation data necessary to enable the respective manufacturer's video lottery terminals to communicate with the commission's central computer for transmitting auditing program information and for activation and disabling of video lottery terminals.
(b) The gross terminal income of a licensed racetrack shall be remitted to the commission through the electronic transfer of funds. Licensed racetracks shall furnish to the commission all information and bank authorizations required to facilitate the timely transfer of moneys to the commission. Licensed racetracks must provide the commission thirty-days' advance notice of any proposed account changes in order to assure the uninterrupted electronic transfer of funds. From the gross terminal income remitted by the licensee to the commission:
(1) The commission shall deduct an amount sufficient to reimburse the commission for its actual costs and expenses incurred in administering racetrack video lottery at the licensed racetrack. The resulting amount after the deduction is the net terminal income. The amount deducted for administrative costs and expenses of the commission may not exceed four percent of gross terminal income: Provided, That any amounts deducted by the commission for its actual costs and expenses that exceeds its actual costs and expenses shall be deposited into the State Lottery Fund. For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2011, through June 30, 2020, the term “actual costs and expenses” may include transfers of up to $10 million in surplus allocations for each fiscal year, as calculated by the commission when it has closed its books for the fiscal year, to the Licensed Racetrack Modernization Fund created by subdivision (2), subsection (b) of this section. For all fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2001, the commission shall not receive an amount of gross terminal income in excess of the amount of gross terminal income received during the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2001, but four percent of any amount of gross terminal income received in excess of the amount of gross terminal income received during the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2001, shall be deposited into the fund established in section eighteen-a, article twenty-two of this chapter; and
(2) A Licensed Racetrack Modernization Fund is created within the Lottery Fund. For all fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2011, and ending with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, the commission shall deposit such amounts as are available according to subdivision (1), subsection (b) of this section into a separate facility modernization account maintained within the Licensed Racetrack Modernization Fund for each racetrack. Each racetrack’s share of each year’s deposit shall be calculated in the same ratio as each racetrack’s apportioned contribution to the four percent administrative costs and expenses allowance provided for in subdivision (1), subsection (b) of this section for that year. For each $2 expended by a licensed racetrack for facility modernization improvements at the racetrack, having a useful life of three or more years and placed in service after July 1, 2011, the licensed racetrack shall receive $1 in recoupment from its facility modernization account. If the licensed racetrack’s facility modernization account contains a balance in any fiscal year, the unexpended balance from that fiscal year will be available for matching for one additional fiscal year, after which time the remaining unused balance carried forward shall revert to the lottery fund. For purposes of this section, the term “facility modernization improvements” includes acquisitions of new and unused video lottery terminals and related equipment. Video lottery terminals financed through the recoupment provided in this subdivision must be retained by the licensee in its West Virginia licensed location for a period of not less than five years from the date of initial installation.
(c) The amount resulting after the deductions required by subsection (b) of this section constitutes net terminal income that shall be divided as set out in this subsection. For all fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2001, any amount of net terminal income received in excess of the amount of net terminal income received during the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2001, shall be divided as set out in section ten-b of this article. The licensed racetrack's share is in lieu of all lottery agent commissions and is considered to cover all costs and expenses required to be expended by the licensed racetrack in connection with video lottery operations. The division shall be made as follows:
(1) The commission shall receive thirty percent of net terminal income, which shall be paid into the State Lottery Fund as provided in section ten-a of this article;
(2) Until July 1, 2005, fourteen percent of net terminal income at a licensed racetrack shall be deposited in the special fund established by the licensee, and used for payment of regular purses in addition to other amounts provided for in article twenty-three, chapter nineteen of this code, on and after July 1, 2005, the rate shall be seven percent of net terminal income;
(3) The county where the video lottery terminals are located shall receive two percent of the net terminal income: Provided, That:
(A) Beginning July 1, 1999, and thereafter, any amount in excess of the two percent received during the fiscal year 1999 by a county in which a racetrack is located that has participated in the West Virginia Thoroughbred Development Fund since on or before January 1, 1999, shall be divided as follows:
(i) The county shall receive fifty percent of the excess amount; and
(ii) The municipalities of the county shall receive fifty percent of the excess amount, said fifty percent to be divided among the municipalities on a per capita basis as determined by the most recent decennial United States census of population; and
(B) Beginning July 1, 1999, and thereafter, any amount in excess of the two percent received during the fiscal year 1999 by a county in which a racetrack other than a racetrack described in paragraph (A) of this proviso is located and where the racetrack has been located in a municipality within the county since on or before January 1, 1999, shall be divided, if applicable, as follows:
(i) The county shall receive fifty percent of the excess amount; and
(ii) The municipality shall receive fifty percent of the excess amount; and
(C) This proviso shall not affect the amount to be received under this subdivision by any other county other than a county described in paragraph (A) or (B) of this proviso;
(4) One percent of net terminal income shall be paid for and on behalf of all employees of the licensed racing association by making a deposit into a special fund to be established by the Racing Commission to be used for payment into the pension plan for all employees of the licensed racing association;
(5) The West Virginia Thoroughbred Development Fund created under section thirteen-b, article twenty-three, chapter nineteen of this code and the West Virginia Greyhound Breeding Development Fund created under section ten of said article shall receive an equal share of a total of not less than one and one-half percent of the net terminal income;
(6) The West Virginia Racing Commission shall receive one percent of the net terminal income which shall be deposited and used as provided in section thirteen-c, article twenty-three, chapter nineteen of this code.
(7) A licensee shall receive forty-six and one-half percent of net terminal income.
(8)(A) The Tourism Promotion Fund established in section twelve, article two, chapter five-b of this code shall receive three percent of the net terminal income: Provided, That for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2003, the tourism commission shall transfer from the Tourism Promotion Fund $5 million of the three percent of the net terminal income described in this section and section ten-b of this article into the fund administered by the West Virginia Economic Development Authority pursuant to section seven, article fifteen, chapter thirty-one of this code, $5 million into the Capitol Renovation and Improvement Fund administered by the Department of Administration pursuant to section six, article four, chapter five-a of this code and $5 million into the Tax Reduction and Federal Funding Increased Compliance Fund; and
(B) Notwithstanding any provision of paragraph (A) of this subdivision to the contrary, for each fiscal year beginning after June 30, 2004, this three percent of net terminal income and the three percent of net terminal income described in paragraph (B), subdivision (8), subsection (a), section ten-b of this article shall be distributed as provided in this paragraph as follows:
(i) 1.375 percent of the total amount of net terminal income described in this section and in section ten-b of this article shall be deposited into the Tourism Promotion Fund created under section twelve, article two, chapter five-b of this code;
(ii) 0.375 percent of the total amount of net terminal income described in this section and in section ten-b of this article shall be deposited into the Development Office Promotion Fund created under section three-b, article two, chapter five-b of this code;
(iii) 0.5 percent of the total amount of net terminal income described in this section and in section ten-b of this article shall be deposited into the Research Challenge Fund created under section ten, article one-b, chapter eighteen-b of this code;
(iv) 0.6875 percent of the total amount of net terminal income described in this section and in section ten-b of this article shall be deposited into the Capitol Renovation and Improvement Fund administered by the Department of Administration pursuant to section six, article four, chapter five-a of this code; and
(v) 0.0625 percent of the total amount of net terminal income described in this section and in section ten-b of this article shall be deposited into the 2004 Capitol Complex Parking Garage Fund administered by the Department of Administration pursuant to section five-a, article four, chapter five-a of this code;
(9)(A) On and after July 1, 2005, seven percent of net terminal income shall be deposited into the Workers' Compensation Debt Reduction Fund created in section five, article two-d, chapter twenty-three of this code: Provided, however, That in any fiscal year when the amount of money generated by this subdivision totals $11 million, all subsequent distributions under this subdivision shall be deposited in the special fund established by the licensee and used for the payment of regular purses in addition to the other amounts provided in article twenty-three, chapter nineteen of this code;
(B) The deposit of the seven percent of net terminal income into the Worker's Compensation Debt Reduction Fund pursuant to this subdivision shall expire and not be imposed with respect to these funds and shall be deposited in the special fund established by the licensee and used for payment of regular purses in addition to the other amounts provided in article twenty-three, chapter nineteen of this code, on and after the first day of the month following the month in which the Governor certifies to the Legislature that: (i) The revenue bonds issued pursuant to article two-d, chapter twenty-three of this code, have been retired or payment of the debt service provided for; and (ii) that an independent certified actuary has determined that the unfunded liability of the old fund, as defined in chapter twenty-three of this code, has been paid or provided for in its entirety; and
(10) The remaining one percent of net terminal income shall be deposited as follows:
(A) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2003, the veterans memorial program shall receive one percent of the net terminal income until sufficient moneys have been received to complete the veterans memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, West Virginia. The moneys shall be deposited in the State Treasury in the Division of Culture and History special fund created under section three, article one-i, chapter twenty-nine of this code: Provided, That only after sufficient moneys have been deposited in the fund to complete the veterans memorial and to pay in full the annual bonded indebtedness on the veterans memorial, not more than $20,000 of the one percent of net terminal income provided in this subdivision shall be deposited into a special revenue fund in the State Treasury, to be known as the John F. “Jack” Bennett Fund. The moneys in this fund shall be expended by the Division of Veterans Affairs Department of Veterans’ Assistance to provide for the placement of markers for the graves of veterans in perpetual cemeteries in this state. The Division of Veterans Affairs Department of Veterans’ Assistance shall promulgate legislative rules pursuant to the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code specifying the manner in which the funds are spent, determine the ability of the surviving spouse to pay for the placement of the marker and setting forth the standards to be used to determine the priority in which the veterans grave markers will be placed in the event that there are not sufficient funds to complete the placement of veterans grave markers in any one year, or at all. Upon payment in full of the bonded indebtedness on the veterans memorial, $100,000 of the one percent of net terminal income provided in this subdivision shall be deposited in the special fund in the Division of Culture and History created under section three, article one-i, chapter twenty-nine of this code and be expended by the Division of Culture and History to establish a West Virginia veterans memorial archives within the Cultural Center to serve as a repository for the documents and records pertaining to the veterans memorial, to restore and maintain the monuments and memorial on the Capitol grounds: Provided, however, That $500,000 of the one percent of net terminal income shall be deposited in the State Treasury in a special fund of the Department of Administration, created under section five, article four, chapter five-a of this code, to be used for construction and maintenance of a parking garage on the State Capitol Complex; and the remainder of the one percent of net terminal income shall be deposited in equal amounts in the Capitol Dome and Improvements Fund created under section two, article four, chapter five-a of this code and Cultural Facilities and Capitol Resources Matching Grant Program Fund created under section three, article one of this chapter.
(B) For each fiscal year beginning after June 30, 2004:
(i) Five hundred thousand dollars of the one percent of net terminal income shall be deposited in the State Treasury in a special fund of the Department of Administration, created under section five, article four, chapter five-a of this code, to be used for construction and maintenance of a parking garage on the State Capitol Complex; and
(ii) The remainder of the one percent of net terminal income and all of the one percent of net terminal income described in paragraph (B), subdivision (9) (10), subsection (a), section ten-b of this article shall be distributed as follows: The net terminal income shall be deposited in equal amounts into the Capitol Dome and Capitol Improvements Fund created under section two, article four, chapter five-a of this code and the Cultural Facilities and Capitol Resources Matching Grant Program Fund created under section three, article one, chapter twenty-nine of this code until a total of $1,500,000 is deposited into the Cultural Facilities and Capitol Resources Matching Grant Program Fund; thereafter, the remainder shall be deposited into the Capitol Dome and Capitol Improvements Fund.
(d) Each licensed racetrack shall maintain in its account an amount equal to or greater than the gross terminal income from its operation of video lottery machines, to be electronically transferred by the commission on dates established by the commission. Upon a licensed racetrack's failure to maintain this balance, the commission may disable all of a licensed racetrack's video lottery terminals until full payment of all amounts due is made. Interest shall accrue on any unpaid balance at a rate consistent with the amount charged for state income tax delinquency under chapter eleven of this code. The interest shall begin to accrue on the date payment is due to the commission.
(e) The commission's central control computer shall keep accurate records of all income generated by each video lottery terminal. The commission shall prepare and mail to the licensed racetrack a statement reflecting the gross terminal income generated by the licensee's video lottery terminals. Each licensed racetrack shall report to the commission any discrepancies between the commission's statement and each terminal's mechanical and electronic meter readings. The licensed racetrack is solely responsible for resolving income discrepancies between actual money collected and the amount shown on the accounting meters or on the commission's billing statement.
(f) Until an accounting discrepancy is resolved in favor of the licensed racetrack, the commission may make no credit adjustments. For any video lottery terminal reflecting a discrepancy, the licensed racetrack shall submit to the commission the maintenance log which includes current mechanical meter readings and the audit ticket which contains electronic meter readings generated by the terminal's software. If the meter readings and the commission's records cannot be reconciled, final disposition of the matter shall be determined by the commission. Any accounting discrepancies which cannot be otherwise resolved shall be resolved in favor of the commission.
(g) Licensed racetracks shall remit payment by mail if the electronic transfer of funds is not operational or the commission notifies licensed racetracks that remittance by this method is required. The licensed racetracks shall report an amount equal to the total amount of cash inserted into each video lottery terminal operated by a licensee, minus the total value of game credits which are cleared from the video lottery terminal in exchange for winning redemption tickets, and remit the amount as generated from its terminals during the reporting period. The remittance shall be sealed in a properly addressed and stamped envelope and deposited in the United States mail no later than noon on the day when the payment would otherwise be completed through electronic funds transfer.
(h) Licensed racetracks may, upon request, receive additional reports of play transactions for their respective video lottery terminals and other marketing information not considered confidential by the commission. The commission may charge a reasonable fee for the cost of producing and mailing any report other than the billing statements.
(i) The commission has the right to examine all accounts, bank accounts, financial statements and records in a licensed racetrack's possession, under its control or in which it has an interest and the licensed racetrack shall authorize all third parties in possession or in control of the accounts or records to allow examination of any of those accounts or records by the commission.
ARTICLE 22C. WEST VIRGINIA LOTTERY RACETRACK TABLE GAMES ACT.
§29-22C-8. License to operate a racetrack with West Virginia Lottery table games.
(a) Racetrack table games licenses. – The commission may issue up to four racetrack table games licenses to operate West Virginia Lottery table games in accordance with the provisions of this article. The Legislature intends that no more than four licenses to operate a racetrack with West Virginia Lottery table games in this state shall be permitted in any event.
(b) Grant of license. – Upon the passage of a local option election in a county in accordance with the provisions of section seven of this article, the commission shall immediately grant a West Virginia Lottery table games license, and a license for the right to conduct West Virginia Lottery table games as assignee to the intellectual property rights of the state, to allow the licensee to conduct West Virginia table games at the licensed pari-mutuel racetrack identified on the local option election ballot, provided that racetrack holds a valid racetrack video lottery license issued by the commission pursuant to article twenty-two-a of this chapter and a valid racing license granted by the West Virginia Racing Commission pursuant to the provision of article twenty-three, chapter nineteen of this code and has otherwise met the requirements for licensure under the provisions of this article and the rules of the commission.
(c) Location. – A racetrack table games license authorizes the operation of West Virginia Lottery table games on the grounds of the particular licensed facility identified in the racetrack video lottery license issued pursuant to article twenty-two-a and the license to conduct horse or dog racing issued pursuant to article twenty-three, chapter nineteen of this code.
(d) Floor plan submission requirement. – Prior to commencing the operation of any table games in a designated gaming area, a racetrack table games licensee shall submit to the commission for its approval a detailed floor plan depicting the location of the designated gaming area in which table games gaming equipment will be located and its proposed arrangement of the table games gaming equipment. Any floor plan submission that satisfies the requirements of the rules promulgated by the commission shall be considered approved by the commission unless the racetrack table games licensee is notified in writing to the contrary within one month of filing a detailed floor plan.
(e) Management service contracts. –
(1) Approval. – A racetrack table games licensee may not enter into any management service contract that would permit any person other than the licensee to act as the commission’s agent in operating West Virginia Lottery table games unless the management service contract is: (A) With a person licensed under this article to provide management services; (B) is in writing; and (C) the contract has been approved by the commission.
(2) Material change. – The licensed racetrack table games licensee shall submit any material change in a management service contract previously approved by the commission to the commission for its approval or rejection before the material change may take effect.
(3) Prohibition on assignment or transfer. – A management services contract may not be assigned or transferred to a third party.
(4) Other commission approvals and licenses. – The duties and responsibilities of a management services provider under a management services contract may not be assigned, delegated, subcontracted or transferred to a third party to perform without the prior approval of the commission. Third parties must be licensed under this article before providing service. The commission may by rule clarify application of this subdivision and provide exceptions to its application. The commission shall license and require the display of West Virginia Lottery game logos on appropriate game surfaces and other gaming items and locations as the commission considers appropriate.
(f) Coordination of licensed activities. – In order to coordinate various licensed activities within racetrack facilities, the following provisions apply to licensed racetrack facilities:
(1) The provisions of this article and of article twenty-two-a of this chapter shall be interpreted to allow West Virginia Lottery table games and racetrack video lottery operations under those articles to be harmoniously conducted in the same designated gaming area.
(2) On the effective date of this article, the provisions of section twenty-three of this article apply to all video lottery games conducted within a racetrack facility, notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions contained in article twenty-two-a of this chapter to the contrary.
(3) On and after the effective date of this article, vacation of the premises after service of beverages ceases is not required, notwithstanding to the contrary any inconsistent provisions of this code or inconsistent rules promulgated by the Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner with respect to hours of sale of those beverages, or required vacation of the premises.
(g) Fees, expiration date and renewal. –
(1) An initial racetrack table games license fee of $1,500,000 shall be paid to the commission at the time of issuance of the racetrack table games license, regardless of the number of months remaining in the license year for which it is issued. All licenses expire at the end of the day on June 30 each year.
(2) The commission shall annually renew a racetrack table games license as of July 1, of each year provided the licensee:
(A) Successfully renews its racetrack video lottery license under article twenty-two-a of this chapter before July 1;
(B) Pays to the commission the annual license renewal fee of $2,500,000 required by this section at the time it files its application for renewal of its license under article twenty-two-a of this chapter: Provided, That only for the license year beginning July 1, 2013, the annual license renewal fee shall be $1,500,000; and
(C) During the current license year, the licensee complied with all provisions of this article, all rules adopted by the commission and all final orders of the commission applicable to the licensee.
(3) Annual license surcharge for failure to construct hotel on premises. – It is the intent of the Legislature that each racetrack for which a racetrack table games license has been issued be or become a destination tourism resort facility. To that end, it is important that each racetrack for which a racetrack table games license has been issued operate a hotel with significant amenities. Therefore, in addition to all other taxes and fees required by the provisions of this article, there is hereby imposed, upon each racetrack for which a racetrack table games license has been issued an annual license surcharge, payable to the commission in the amount of $2,500,000 if that racetrack does not operate a hotel on its racing property that contains at least one hundred fifty guest rooms with significant amenities within three years of the passage of the local option election in its county authorizing table games at the racetrack, provided the time for completion of the hotel shall be extended by the same number of days as the completion of the hotel is delayed by a force majeure events or conditions beyond the reasonable control of the racetrack licensee. The surcharge shall be paid upon each renewal of its racetrack table games license made after the expiration of the three year period, and may be extended by the above force majeure events or conditions, until the racetrack opens a qualifying hotel.
(4) If the licensee fails to apply to renew its license under article twenty-three, chapter nineteen and article twenty-two-a, chapter twenty-nine of this code until after the license expires, the commission shall renew its license under this article at the time it renews its license under article twenty-two-a of this chapter provided the licensee has paid the annual license fee required by this section and during the preceding license year the licensee complied with all provisions of this article, all rules adopted by the commission and all final orders of the commission applicable to the licensee.
(h) Facility qualifications. – A racetrack table games licensee shall demonstrate that the racetrack with West Virginia Lottery table games will: (1) Be accessible to disabled individuals in accordance with applicable federal and state laws; (2) be licensed in accordance with this article, and all other applicable federal, state and local laws; and (3) meet any other qualifications specified in rules adopted by the commission.
(i) Surety bond. – A racetrack table games licensee shall execute a surety bond to be given to the state to guarantee the licensee faithfully makes all payments in accordance with the provisions of this article and rules promulgated by the commission. The surety bond shall be:
(1) In the amount determined by the commission to be adequate to protect the state against nonpayment by the licensee of amounts due the state under this article;
(2) In a form approved by the commission; and
(3) With a surety approved by the commission who is licensed to write surety insurance in this state. The bond shall remain in effect during the term of the license and may not be canceled by a surety on less than thirty-days’ notice in writing to the commission. The total and aggregate liability of the surety on the bond is limited to the amount specified in the bond.
(j) Authorization. – A racetrack table games license authorizes the licensee act as an agent of the commission in operating an unlimited amount of West Virginia Lottery table games while the license is active, subject to subsection (d) of this section. A racetrack table games license is not transferable or assignable and cannot be sold or pledged as collateral.
(k) Audits. – When applying for a license and annually thereafter prior to license renewal, a racetrack table games licensee shall submit to the commission an annual audit, by a certified public accountant, of the financial transactions and condition of the licensee’s total operations. The audit shall be made in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and applicable federal and state laws.
(l) Commission office space. – A racetrack table games licensee shall provide to the commission, at no cost to the commission, suitable office space at the racetrack facility for the commission to perform the duties required of it by this article and the rules of the commission.
