By Martin H.B. No. 1905
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the regulation of ocean-going ships on which gambling
1-3 is offered and to the application of certain gambling offenses to
1-4 ocean-going ships; creating offenses and providing penalties.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Title 6, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding
1-7 Article 179g to read as follows:
1-8 Art. 179g. DAY CRUISE CASINO SHIPS
1-9 Sec. 1. DEFINITIONS. In this article:
1-10 (1) "Casino" means a part of a ship in which gaming is
1-11 conducted.
1-12 (2) "Casino operator" means a person who maintains a
1-13 game aboard a day cruise casino ship.
1-14 (3) "Commission" means the Texas Commission of
1-15 Licensing and Regulation.
1-16 (4) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of licensing
1-17 and regulation.
1-18 (5) "Day cruise casino ship" means an ocean-going
1-19 vessel:
1-20 (A) on which gaming is conducted in the
1-21 territorial waters of this state; or
1-22 (B) that boards passengers at a port in this
1-23 state for regularly scheduled day cruises of less than 24 hours
2-1 that includes gaming.
2-2 (6) "Game" or "gaming" means any betting activity
2-3 described in Chapter 47, Penal Code, including an activity that
2-4 uses gaming equipment or devices.
2-5 (7) "Gaming employee" means any individual directly
2-6 connected with the operation of a game on a day cruise casino ship.
2-7 The term does not include a person who is:
2-8 (A) required to hold a license under Section 3
2-9 or 4 of this article; or
2-10 (B) employed on a day cruise casino ship
2-11 exclusively:
2-12 (i) in connection with preparation or
2-13 serving of food or beverages; or
2-14 (ii) as a crew member or officer
2-15 responsible for operating or navigating the day cruise casino ship.
2-16 (8) "License holder" means any person holding a
2-17 license issued under this article.
2-18 (9) "Person" includes a corporation, organization,
2-19 business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any
2-20 other legal entity.
2-21 Sec. 2. RULES. (a) The commission may adopt rules for the
2-22 administration of this article.
2-23 (b) The commission shall adopt rules to prevent gambling by
2-24 persons younger than 21 years of age and to prevent persons younger
2-25 than 16 years of age from boarding a day cruise casino ship unless
3-1 accompanied by a parent, conservator, guardian, or other legal
3-2 custodian of the person.
3-3 Sec. 3. SHIP OPERATOR LICENSE REQUIRED. A person must
3-4 obtain a license to operate a day cruise casino ship.
3-5 Sec. 4. CASINO OPERATOR LICENSE REQUIRED. A person must
3-6 obtain a license to operate a casino on a day cruise casino ship.
3-7 Sec. 5. GAMING EMPLOYEE LICENSE REQUIRED. A person must
3-8 obtain a license to work as a gaming employee on a day cruise
3-9 casino ship.
3-10 Sec. 6. FEES. The fee for a day cruise casino ship operator
3-11 license under Section 3 of this article is $25,000 per ship. The
3-12 commission shall set fees for other licenses and renewals under
3-13 this article in amounts that are reasonable and necessary to cover
3-14 the complete cost of administering this article and the cost of
3-15 administering the application process, including background
3-16 investigations and fingerprint and criminal history record checks.
3-17 The commission may enter into an interagency contract with the
3-18 Department of Public Safety to provide background investigations or
3-19 to provide fingerprint and criminal history record checks required
3-20 under this article.
3-21 Sec. 7. LICENSE APPLICATION; ISSUANCE; RENEWAL. (a) An
3-22 applicant for a license under this article must file a written
3-23 application with the commissioner on a form prescribed by the
3-24 commissioner. The application must be accompanied by the
3-25 appropriate fee.
4-1 (b) An application for a license must include:
4-2 (1) if the applicant is an individual:
4-3 (A) the applicant's full name;
4-4 (B) the applicant's date and place of birth;
4-5 (C) a physical description of the applicant;
4-6 (D) the applicant's current address and
4-7 telephone number;
4-8 (E) the applicant's social security number; and
4-9 (F) a statement by the applicant disclosing the
4-10 applicant's arrest or conviction for any felony or misdemeanor
4-11 offense other than a misdemeanor offense under the Uniform Act
4-12 Regulating Traffic on Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil
4-13 Statutes) or a similar misdemeanor traffic offense;
4-14 (2) if the applicant is a corporation:
4-15 (A) the name and address of the corporation's
4-16 agent for service of process in this state;
4-17 (B) the names and current addresses and
4-18 telephone numbers of its directors and stockholders;
4-19 (C) the date and place of birth, social security
4-20 number, and a physical description of each director and individual
4-21 stockholder;
4-22 (D) the applicant's federal taxpayer
4-23 identification number, if any; and
4-24 (E) a statement by each director and individual
4-25 stockholder disclosing any arrest or conviction of that director or
5-1 stockholder for any felony or misdemeanor offense other than a
5-2 misdemeanor offense under the Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on
5-3 Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) or a
5-4 similar misdemeanor traffic offense;
5-5 (3) if the applicant is an unincorporated business
5-6 association or any other legal entity:
5-7 (A) the names, current addresses and telephone
5-8 numbers, and percentage of ownership of each of its owners or
5-9 members;
5-10 (B) the date and place of birth, social security
5-11 number, and a physical description of each individual owner or
5-12 member;
5-13 (C) the applicant's federal taxpayer
5-14 identification number, if any; and
5-15 (D) a statement by each individual owner or
5-16 member disclosing any arrest or conviction of that owner or member
5-17 for any felony or misdemeanor offense other than a misdemeanor
5-18 offense under the Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways
5-19 (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) or a similar
5-20 misdemeanor traffic offense;
5-21 (4) a detailed statement of the assets and liabilities
5-22 of the applicant; and
5-23 (5) information necessary to determine whether grounds
5-24 for denial of the license exist under Section 10 of this article.
5-25 (c) An application for a day cruise casino ship operator
6-1 license must be accompanied by:
6-2 (1) complete registration information on the ship to
6-3 be used as a day cruise casino ship;
6-4 (2) plans for the ship to be used as a day cruise
6-5 casino ship, showing the proposed location of the casino space;
6-6 (3) a copy of each management or concession contract
6-7 pertaining to the proposed day cruise casino ship, together with
6-8 the same information on each person named in the contract as
6-9 required of an applicant; and
6-10 (4) identification of the point of departure and
6-11 return for all cruises of less than 24 hours duration, designating
6-12 the city, city cruise ship terminal, or pier or dock at which the
6-13 ship is regularly berthed for scheduled sailings.
6-14 (d) An application for a casino operator license must be
6-15 accompanied by:
6-16 (1) complete registration information on the ship on
6-17 which the casino will be operated;
6-18 (2) plans for the ship to be used as a day cruise
6-19 casino ship, showing the proposed location of the casino space; and
6-20 (3) a detailed description of all games and devices to
6-21 be used for gaming aboard the ship and the methods for notifying
6-22 the public that the rules of each game and standards for
6-23 percentages of wins and losses are prominently displayed on the
6-24 ship and in the casino.
6-25 (e) The commissioner shall not issue a day cruise casino
7-1 ship operator license or a casino operator license for a ship to
7-2 operate from a port within a 60-mile radius of the county seat of a
7-3 county in which a greyhound racetrack licensed under the Texas
7-4 Racing Act (Article 179e, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) is
7-5 located, if the racetrack has operated for at least 550 days before
7-6 the license application required by this article is approved.
7-7 (f) The commissioner shall issue an appropriate license to
7-8 an applicant who meets the requirements of this article. The
7-9 commissioner shall provide each license holder with a license
7-10 certificate or credentials.
7-11 (g) A license issued under this article expires on the first
7-12 anniversary of the date it was issued. A license may be renewed
7-13 before expiration on the filing of a renewal application in the
7-14 form prescribed by the commissioner accompanied by the renewal fee.
7-15 (h) An applicant or license holder shall notify the
7-16 commissioner of any change in the information in the applicant's or
7-17 license holder's most recent application for a license or renewal
7-18 of a license. The applicant or license holder shall notify the
7-19 commissioner of the change in the information not later than the
7-20 10th day after the date of the change.
7-21 (i) The Department of Public Safety may conduct background
7-22 investigations of an applicant for a license under this article
7-23 under an interagency contract with the commission. The
7-24 commissioner or the Department of Public Safety may require an
7-25 applicant to supplement an original application with additional
8-1 information that is reasonably related to the application process.
8-2 Sec. 8. FINGERPRINTS. (a) An applicant for a license under
8-3 this article must submit to the commissioner a complete set of
8-4 fingerprints of the individual applying for the license or, if the
8-5 applicant is not an individual, of any individual required to be
8-6 named in the application.
8-7 (b) The commissioner, not later than the next day after
8-8 receiving the fingerprints, shall forward the prints by mail to the
8-9 Department of Public Safety. Under an interagency contract with
8-10 the commission, the department shall classify the fingerprints and
8-11 check them against its fingerprint files and shall report to the
8-12 commissioner its findings concerning the criminal record of the
8-13 applicant or the lack of such a record. A license may not be
8-14 issued until the report is made to the commissioner. The
8-15 department may maintain records submitted under this article.
8-16 (c) The Department of Public Safety may adopt rules
8-17 governing the fingerprint process described in this section.
8-18 Sec. 9. ACCESS TO CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS. (a) The
8-19 commissioner may obtain any criminal history record information
8-20 that relates to an applicant for a license issued by the
8-21 commissioner under this article and that is maintained by the
8-22 Department of Public Safety or the Federal Bureau of Investigation
8-23 Identification Division. The commissioner may refuse to grant a
8-24 license to an applicant who fails to provide a complete set of
8-25 fingerprints.
9-1 (b) The commissioner may obtain criminal history record
9-2 information from any law enforcement agency.
9-3 (c) Criminal history record information received by the
9-4 commissioner under this section from any law enforcement agency
9-5 that requires the information to be kept confidential as a
9-6 condition of release of the information is for the exclusive use of
9-7 the commissioner, is privileged and confidential, and may not be
9-8 released or otherwise disclosed to any person or agency except in a
9-9 criminal proceeding, in a hearing conducted by the commissioner or
9-10 a hearings officer appointed by the commissioner, on court order,
9-11 or with the consent of the applicant.
9-12 Sec. 10. DENIAL OF APPLICATION OR SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION
9-13 OF LICENSE. After a hearing, the commissioner shall deny an
9-14 application for a license or suspend or revoke a license if the
9-15 commissioner finds that the applicant or license holder:
9-16 (1) is an individual who:
9-17 (A) has, in any jurisdiction, been convicted of
9-18 or placed on probation for a felony, criminal fraud, gambling or a
9-19 gambling-related offense, or a misdemeanor involving moral
9-20 turpitude; or
9-21 (B) is married to or related in the first degree
9-22 of consanguinity or affinity to an individual described in
9-23 Paragraph (A) of this subdivision;
9-24 (2) is not an individual, and an individual described
9-25 in Subdivision (1) of this section:
10-1 (A) is an officer or director of the applicant
10-2 or license holder;
10-3 (B) holds more than 10 percent of the stock in
10-4 the applicant or license holder;
10-5 (C) holds an equitable interest greater than 10
10-6 percent in the applicant or license holder;
10-7 (D) is a creditor of the applicant or license
10-8 holder who holds more than 10 percent of the applicant's or license
10-9 holder's outstanding debt;
10-10 (E) shares or will share in the profits, other
10-11 than stock dividends, of the applicant or license holder; or
10-12 (F) participates in managing the affairs of the
10-13 applicant or license holder;
10-14 (3) has failed to disclose information that would, if
10-15 disclosed, render the license holder ineligible for a license under
10-16 this section;
10-17 (4) has failed to provide to the commissioner or the
10-18 Department of Public Safety supplementary information as required
10-19 by this article;
10-20 (5) has violated this article or a rule adopted under
10-21 this article; or
10-22 (6) has violated a federal or state penal gambling
10-23 statute.
10-24 Sec. 11. OFFENSES. (a) A person commits an offense if the
10-25 person violates Section 3, 4, or 5 of this article.
11-1 (b) A person commits an offense if:
11-2 (1) the person employs another as a gaming employee;
11-3 (2) the person employed is required to hold a gaming
11-4 employee license under Section 5 of this article; and
11-5 (3) the person employed does not have a gaming
11-6 employee license issued under Section 7 of this article.
11-7 (c) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally,
11-8 knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence makes a false,
11-9 incorrect, or deceptive material statement to another who is
11-10 conducting an investigation or exercising discretion under this
11-11 article or a rule adopted under this article. In this subsection,
11-12 "statement" includes:
11-13 (1) a written or oral statement; and
11-14 (2) a sworn or unsworn statement.
11-15 (d) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally,
11-16 knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence refuses, denies,
11-17 or hinders entry to another who is exercising or attempting to
11-18 exercise a power of boarding or inspection under this article.
11-19 (e) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally,
11-20 knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence permits a person
11-21 younger than 21 years of age to engage in gaming aboard a day
11-22 cruise casino ship.
11-23 (f) A person younger than 21 years of age commits an offense
11-24 if the person intentionally or knowingly engages in gaming aboard a
11-25 day cruise casino ship. An offense under this subsection is a
12-1 Class C misdemeanor.
12-2 (g) Except as provided in Subsection (f) of this section, an
12-3 offense under this section is a felony of the third degree.
12-4 Sec. 12. VENUE. An offense under this article may be
12-5 prosecuted in:
12-6 (1) the county in which venue is proper under Article
12-7 13.11, Code of Criminal Procedure; or
12-8 (2) Travis County, if:
12-9 (A) it cannot be proved in which county the
12-10 alleged offense occurred; or
12-11 (B) the offense is the failure to have a valid
12-12 license under this article.
12-13 Sec. 13. ENFORCEMENT. (a) The commissioner, comptroller,
12-14 and Department of Public Safety shall enforce this article. The
12-15 commissioner, comptroller, or department may board and inspect a
12-16 day cruise casino ship located in this state, including the
12-17 territorial waters of this state, to ensure that the ship is
12-18 operated in compliance with state or other applicable law. The
12-19 commissioner, comptroller, or Department of Public Safety may
12-20 charter a ship at the expense of a licensed day cruise casino ship
12-21 operator if the commissioner, comptroller, or department considers
12-22 it necessary to board the ship at sea.
12-23 (b) A license holder may not refuse a request by the
12-24 commissioner, comptroller, or Department of Public Safety to board
12-25 or inspect a ship licensed under this article.
13-1 (c) The commissioner, comptroller, or Department of Public
13-2 Safety may initiate a complaint under this article with the
13-3 commissioner.
13-4 Sec. 14. MUNICIPAL REGULATION. (a) A municipality by
13-5 ordinance may impose regulations for the protection of the health
13-6 and safety of the passengers or crew of day cruise casino ships
13-7 that regularly take on passengers in the municipality or that are
13-8 regularly loaded, fueled, repaired, stored, or docked in the
13-9 municipality, and may levy a boarding fee that does not exceed $1
13-10 per passenger per trip.
13-11 (b) A municipality may inspect a day cruise casino ship that
13-12 is docked in the municipality to determine whether the ship is
13-13 being operated in compliance with this article, Chapter 47, Penal
13-14 Code, municipal ordinances, or other law.
13-15 (c) A municipal ordinance may not prohibit any activity
13-16 relating to a day cruise casino ship that is expressly permissible
13-17 under this article, Chapter 47, Penal Code, or other state law. A
13-18 municipality may not require a license in addition to the licenses
13-19 required by this article.
13-20 (d) A municipality may impose an annual fee on the operator
13-21 of a day cruise casino ship for the municipality's costs of
13-22 investigation and inspection. The annual fee may not exceed
13-23 $10,000 per ship.
13-24 SECTION 2. Section 47.01, Penal Code, is amended by adding
13-25 Subdivisions (9) and (10) to read as follows:
14-1 (9) "Coastline" means the line of mean low tide along
14-2 the portions of the Texas coast that are in direct contact with the
14-3 open Gulf of Mexico.
14-4 (10) "Day cruise casino ship" has the meaning assigned
14-5 by Article 179g, Revised Statutes.
14-6 SECTION 3. Subsection (c), Section 47.02, Penal Code, is
14-7 amended to read as follows:
14-8 (c) It is an affirmative <a> defense to prosecution under
14-9 this section that:
14-10 (1) the actor reasonably believed that the conduct was
14-11 permitted under:
14-12 (A) the Bingo Enabling Act (Article 179d,
14-13 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes); or
14-14 (B) <under> the Charitable Raffle Enabling Act
14-15 (Article 179f, Revised Statutes);
14-16 (2) the conduct occurred aboard a day cruise casino
14-17 ship, the actor did not operate the game or contest, and the actor
14-18 reasonably believed that:
14-19 (A) the owner of the ship and the person
14-20 operating the game held appropriate licenses under Article 179g,
14-21 Revised Statutes; and
14-22 (B) the ship was at least three nautical miles
14-23 gulfward from the coastline at the time the conduct occurred; or
14-24 (3) the conduct occurred aboard a day cruise casino
14-25 ship, the actor held an appropriate license under Article 179g,
15-1 Revised Statutes, and reasonably believed his conduct complied with
15-2 that article and rules adopted under that article, and the ship was
15-3 at least three nautical miles gulfward from the coastline at the
15-4 time the conduct occurred.
15-5 SECTION 4. Subsection (c), Section 47.04, Penal Code, is
15-6 amended to read as follows:
15-7 (c) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this
15-8 section that the gambling place is aboard a day cruise casino ship
15-9 <an ocean-going vessel that enters the territorial waters of this
15-10 state to call at a port in this state> if:
15-11 (1) the operator of the ship and the operator of the
15-12 gambling place hold appropriate licenses under Article 179g,
15-13 Revised Statutes, if licenses are required by that article because
15-14 of gambling that may occur in <before the vessel enters the
15-15 territorial waters of this state, the district attorney or, if
15-16 there is no district attorney, the county attorney for the county
15-17 in which the port is located receives notice of the existence of
15-18 the gambling place on board the vessel and of the anticipated dates
15-19 on which the vessel will enter and leave> the territorial waters of
15-20 this state;
15-21 (2) the portion of the ship <vessel> that is used as a
15-22 gambling place is locked or otherwise physically secured in a
15-23 manner that makes the area inaccessible to anyone other than the
15-24 master and crew of the ship <vessel> at all times while the ship
15-25 <vessel> is located less than three nautical miles gulfward from
16-1 the coastline <in the territorial waters of this state>;
16-2 (3) no person other than the master and crew of the
16-3 ship <vessel> is permitted to enter <or view> the gambling place
16-4 while the ship <vessel> is located less than three nautical miles
16-5 gulfward from the coastline <in the territorial waters of this
16-6 state>; and
16-7 (4) the gambling place is not used for gambling or
16-8 other gaming purposes while the ship <vessel> is located less than
16-9 three nautical miles gulfward from the coastline <in the
16-10 territorial waters of this state>.
16-11 SECTION 5. Subsection (c), Section 47.06, Penal Code, is
16-12 amended to read as follows:
16-13 (c) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under
16-14 Subsection (a) of this section that the device or equipment is
16-15 aboard a day cruise casino ship <an ocean-going vessel that enters
16-16 the territorial waters of this state to call at a port in this
16-17 state> if:
16-18 (1) the operator of the ship and the operator of the
16-19 gambling place hold appropriate licenses under Article 179g,
16-20 Revised Statutes, if licenses are required by that article because
16-21 of gambling that may occur in <before the vessel enters the
16-22 territorial waters of this state, the district attorney or, if
16-23 there is no district attorney, the county attorney for the county
16-24 in which the port is located receives notice of the existence of
16-25 the device or equipment on board the vessel and of the anticipated
17-1 dates on which the vessel will enter and leave> the territorial
17-2 waters of this state;
17-3 (2) the portion of the ship <vessel> in which the
17-4 device or equipment is located is locked or otherwise physically
17-5 secured in a manner that makes the area inaccessible to anyone
17-6 other than the master and crew of the ship <vessel> at all times
17-7 while the ship <vessel> is located less than three nautical miles
17-8 gulfward from the coastline <in the territorial waters of this
17-9 state>;
17-10 (3) no person other than the master and crew of the
17-11 ship <vessel> is permitted to enter <or view> the portion of the
17-12 ship <vessel> in which the device or equipment is located while the
17-13 ship <vessel> is located less than three nautical miles gulfward
17-14 from the coastline <in the territorial waters of this state>; and
17-15 (4) the device or equipment is not used for gambling
17-16 or other gaming purposes while the ship <vessel> is located less
17-17 than three nautical miles gulfward from the coastline <in the
17-18 territorial waters of this state>.
17-19 SECTION 6. Subsection (b), Section 47.07, Penal Code, is
17-20 amended to read as follows:
17-21 (b) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this
17-22 section that the gambling paraphernalia is aboard a day cruise
17-23 casino ship <an ocean-going vessel that enters the territorial
17-24 waters of this state to call at a port in this state> if:
17-25 (1) the operator of the ship and the operator of the
18-1 gambling place hold appropriate licenses under Article 179g,
18-2 Revised Statutes, if licenses are required by that article because
18-3 of gambling that may occur in <before the vessel enters the
18-4 territorial waters of this state, the district attorney or, if
18-5 there is no district attorney, the county attorney for the county
18-6 in which the port is located receives notice of the existence of
18-7 the gambling paraphernalia on board the vessel and of the
18-8 anticipated dates on which the vessel will enter and leave> the
18-9 territorial waters of this state;
18-10 (2) the portion of the ship <vessel> in which the
18-11 gambling paraphernalia is located is locked or otherwise physically
18-12 secured in a manner that makes the area inaccessible to anyone
18-13 other than the master and crew of the ship <vessel> at all times
18-14 while the ship <vessel> is located less than three nautical miles
18-15 gulfward from the coastline <in the territorial waters of this
18-16 state>;
18-17 (3) no person other than the master and crew of the
18-18 ship <vessel> is permitted to enter <or view> the portion of the
18-19 ship <vessel> in which the gambling paraphernalia is located while
18-20 the ship <vessel> is located less than three nautical miles
18-21 gulfward from the coastline <in the territorial waters of this
18-22 state>; and
18-23 (4) the gambling paraphernalia is not used for
18-24 gambling or other gaming purposes while the ship <vessel> is
18-25 located less than three nautical miles gulfward from the coastline
19-1 <in the territorial waters of this state>.
19-2 SECTION 7. Article 179f, Revised Statutes, as added by
19-3 Section 5, Chapter 1030, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular
19-4 Session, 1989, is repealed.
19-5 SECTION 8. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
19-6 only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
19-7 Act. For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
19-8 the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
19-9 before the effective date.
19-10 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this
19-11 Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
19-12 and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
19-13 SECTION 9. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
19-14 (b) A person who on the effective date of this Act operates
19-15 a cruise ship having a casino may continue to operate the ship and
19-16 may conduct gambling in the territorial waters of this state as
19-17 permitted by Chapter 47, Penal Code, as amended by this Act, or
19-18 outside the territorial waters of this state without obtaining a
19-19 license under Article 179g, Revised Statutes, as added by this Act,
19-20 if:
19-21 (1) the person holds a license to operate the ship
19-22 issued by a municipality; and
19-23 (2) the municipal licensing procedure requires
19-24 appropriate Department of Public Safety approval of the owner and
19-25 operator of the ship.
20-1 (c) A person operating a ship under Subsection (b) of this
20-2 section shall notify the commissioner of licensing and regulation
20-3 before the person conducts gambling in the territorial waters of
20-4 this state as permitted by Chapter 47, Penal Code, as amended by
20-5 this Act. The commissioner shall provide the person with an
20-6 appropriate application for a license under Article 179g, Revised
20-7 Statutes, as added by this Act, as soon as the applications are
20-8 developed.
20-9 (d) A person operating a cruise ship having a casino under
20-10 Subsection (b) of this section may not conduct gambling in the
20-11 territorial waters of this state if the commissioner of licensing
20-12 and regulation denies the person a license under Article 179g,
20-13 Revised Statutes.
20-14 SECTION 10. The importance of this legislation and the
20-15 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
20-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
20-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
20-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.