By Haggerty                                           H.B. No. 3087
         76R9333 AJA-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the authorization and regulation of progressive bingo
 1-3     games.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 2, Bingo Enabling Act (Article 179d,
 1-6     Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Subdivision
 1-7     (30) to read as follows:
 1-8                 (30)  "Progressive bingo" means a bingo game:
 1-9                       (A)  in which, to win, a specific pattern must be
1-10     completed by the time a specified number of bingo numbers or
1-11     symbols have been selected during a single bingo occasion;
1-12                       (B)  that continues over successive bingo
1-13     occasions of the same licensed authorized organization until a
1-14     player wins; and
1-15                       (C)  for which the prize amount is increased on
1-16     each successive bingo occasion until a player wins.
1-17           SECTION 2.  The Bingo Enabling Act (Article 179d, Vernon's
1-18     Texas Civil Statutes) is amended by adding Section 11b to read as
1-19     follows:
1-20           Sec. 11b.  PROGRESSIVE BINGO GAMES.  (a)  A licensed
1-21     authorized organization may conduct a progressive bingo game.
1-22           (b)  Only one progressive bingo game may be conducted during
1-23     any one bingo occasion.
1-24           (c)  Section 11(e) of this Act does not apply to a
 2-1     progressive bingo game.  The prizes awarded in a progressive bingo
 2-2     game do not count toward the total amount of prizes described by
 2-3     Section 11(f) of this Act.
 2-4           (d)  The prize for the first bingo occasion of a progressive
 2-5     bingo game may not exceed $750 and may be increased by no more than
 2-6     $500 on each successive bingo occasion until the progressive bingo
 2-7     game is won.
 2-8           (e)  If the prize for a progressive bingo game is not awarded
 2-9     at a bingo occasion, the progressive bingo game shall be continued
2-10     at a future occasion until a winner is declared.
2-11           (f)  A consolation prize of not more than $250 for a
2-12     progressive bingo game may be awarded at each bingo occasion during
2-13     which the game is played.
2-14           (g)  A licensed authorized organization that conducts a
2-15     progressive bingo game must post the rules for that progressive
2-16     bingo game as part of the organization's house rules prior to the
2-17     start of the bingo occasion.  Except as otherwise ordered by the
2-18     commission, those rules must remain in effect until a winner is
2-19     declared for the progressive bingo game.
2-20           (h)  If multiple licensed authorized organizations conduct
2-21     bingo at the same location, each organization is responsible for
2-22     its own progressive bingo games.
2-23           (i)  A licensed authorized organization conducting a
2-24     progressive bingo game must maintain adequate records, as specified
2-25     by the commission, showing the development of the prize increase
2-26     and accounting for all funds taken in for that game.
2-27           (j)  Sections 19b and 19c of this Act apply to any prize
 3-1     awarded in a progressive bingo game, including a consolation prize.
 3-2           (k)  The commission shall adopt rules as necessary to
 3-3     implement this section.
 3-4           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect October 1, 1999.
 3-5           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 3-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.