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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of a lottery game to benefit the child-care |
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services program administered by the Texas Workforce Commission. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 466, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 466.0265 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 466.0265. GAME SUPPORTING TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION |
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CHILD-CARE SERVICES PROGRAM. (a) The commission shall operate an |
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instant-ticket lottery game to benefit the child-care services |
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program administered by the Texas Workforce Commission. |
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(b) The commission shall: |
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(1) determine the ticket price, payout amounts, and |
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manner in which the game is conducted; |
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(2) to the extent practicable, continuously make |
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available for sale tickets to the game; and |
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(3) change the design or theme of the game regularly to |
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ensure the game remains competitive with other instant-ticket |
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lottery games the commission offers. |
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(c) The commission shall market and advertise the lottery |
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game operated under this section in a manner intended to inform the |
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public the game tickets are available for purchase and the game |
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proceeds are used to fund the child-care services program |
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administered by the Texas Workforce Commission. The game tickets |
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must clearly state the game proceeds are used to benefit the |
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child-care services program administered by the Texas Workforce |
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Commission. The Texas Workforce Commission may submit |
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recommendations to the Texas Lottery Commission relating to the |
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marketing and advertising of the game. |
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(d) The commission shall encourage each sales agent that |
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sells tickets to instant-ticket games or similar types of lottery |
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games to sell tickets to the game operated under this section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 466.355(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Money in the state lottery account may be used only for |
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the following purposes and shall be distributed as follows: |
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(1) the payment of prizes to the holders of winning |
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tickets; |
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(2) the payment of costs incurred in the operation and |
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administration of the lottery, including any fees received by a |
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lottery operator, provided that the costs incurred in a fiscal |
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biennium may not exceed an amount equal to 12 percent of the gross |
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revenue accruing from the sale of tickets in that biennium; |
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(3) the establishment of a pooled bond fund, lottery |
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prize reserve fund, unclaimed prize fund, and prize payment |
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account; and |
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(4) the balance, after creation of a reserve |
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sufficient to pay the amounts needed or estimated to be needed under |
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Subdivisions (1) through (3), to be transferred on or before the |
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15th day of each month as follows: |
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(A) the portion of the balance attributable to |
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the lottery game operated under: |
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(i) Section 466.0265 to the general revenue |
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fund for appropriation only to fund the child-care services program |
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administered by the Texas Workforce Commission; and |
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(ii) Section 466.027 to the fund for |
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veterans' assistance established by Section 434.017; and |
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(B) the remainder to the foundation school fund. |
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SECTION 3. Section 466.408(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) If a claim is not made for prize money on or before the |
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180th day after the date on which the winner was selected, the prize |
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money shall be used in the following order of priority: |
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(1) subject to legislative appropriation, not more |
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than $20 million in prize money each year may be deposited to the |
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Department of State Health Services state-owned multicategorical |
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teaching hospital account, which is an account in the general |
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revenue fund, or appropriated from that account to provide indigent |
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health care services as specified in Chapter 61, Health and Safety |
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Code; |
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(2) not more than $5 million in prize money each year |
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may be appropriated to the Health and Human Services Commission and |
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shall be used to support the provision of inpatient hospital |
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services in hospitals located in the 15 counties that comprise the |
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Texas-Mexico border area, with payment for those services to be not |
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less than the amount established under the Tax Equity and Fiscal |
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Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA) cost reimbursement methodology |
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for the hospital providing the services; |
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(3) [the remaining amount,] not more than [to exceed] |
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$5 million in prize money in each state fiscal year less any amount |
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deposited in the fund in that year attributable to the lottery game |
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operated under Section 466.027[,] shall be deposited to the fund |
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for veterans' assistance; [and] |
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(4) the remaining amount, not to exceed $5 million in |
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prize money in each state fiscal year less any amount deposited to |
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the general revenue fund under Section 466.355(b)(4)(A)(i) in that |
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year attributable to the lottery game operated under Section |
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466.0265, shall be deposited to the general revenue fund for |
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appropriation only to fund the child-care services program |
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administered by the Texas Workforce Commission; and |
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(5) all prize money subject to this section and not |
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deposited or appropriated in accordance with Subdivision (1), (2), |
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[or] (3), or (4) shall be deposited to the credit of the foundation |
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school fund. |
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SECTION 4. (a) Section 466.355, Government Code, as |
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amended by this Act, applies only to a transfer from the state |
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lottery account made on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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(b) The Texas Lottery Commission shall establish and begin |
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selling tickets to the lottery game as required by Section |
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466.0265, Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than |
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March 2, 2026. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |