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Committee clears bill exempting youth‑serving nonprofit raffles from raffle act requirements
Summary
Lawmakers voted unanimously to advance HB154, which would exempt raffles held by tax‑exempt organizations that primarily serve youth under 18 from portions of the state Bingo and Raffle Act. The Gaming Control Board said the measure would reduce enforcement time on small, community fundraisers.
The House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee gave House Bill 154 a unanimous do‑pass recommendation after hearing testimony from nonprofit groups and opponents.
Representative Zamora presented the bill, which would exempt from the state’s Bingo and Raffle Act raffles held for fundraising purposes by tax‑exempt educational, athletic or extracurricular organizations that primarily serve youth age 18 and younger. The measure is intended to allow schools, youth teams and similar nonprofit organizations to run fundraising raffles without the current regulatory burden imposed by the Gaming Control Act.
Pat Garrett, chair of the Gaming Control Board, and Michelle Pado, staff counsel to the board, appeared as experts and said exempting small, youth‑focused fundraisers would free enforcement resources for other priorities. Opponents included public‑health and community advocates who raised concerns about expanding gambling to youth settings and asked about safeguards.
Committee members asked whether the bill would allow parent‑teacher associations or other community groups to run raffles for school activities, and sponsors said the measure is intended to be inclusive for groups that ‘‘primarily serve youth.’’ Members also asked about a $75,000 notification threshold for large prizes; the sponsor said the bill does not change that reporting requirement and that exempted fundraisers are generally small, local events.
Motion and outcome: Representative Block moved a do‑pass and the committee approved HB154 unanimously (6‑0).
What’s next: HB154 advances to the House for further consideration. Sponsors said they would track implementation but did not anticipate significant fiscal effects or need for additional agency resources.
