By Yarbrough                                          H.B. No. 3649
         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to authorizing certain charitable organizations to serve
 1-3     as commercial bingo lessors.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Sections 13(n) and (o), Bingo Enabling Act
 1-6     (Article 179d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) are amended to read
 1-7     as follows:
 1-8           (n)  A commercial license to lease bingo premises to a
 1-9     licensed authorized organization may be issued only to:
1-10                 (1)  an authorized organization licensed to conduct
1-11     bingo that owns or leases premises on which bingo is or will be
1-12     conducted or an association of authorized organizations licensed to
1-13     conduct bingo that jointly own or lease premises on which bingo is
1-14     or will be conducted and that the organization or association
1-15     leases or offers for lease to one or more other authorized
1-16     organizations to conduct bingo; or
1-17                 (2)  [a person who leases premises to a single licensed
1-18     authorized organization that subleases or will sublease the premise
1-19     to one or more other licensed authorized organizations to conduct
1-20     bingo on the premise; or]
1-21                 (3)  a person who leases premise for the total control
 2-1     and exclusive use of only one licensed organization as that
 2-2     organization's primary business office.
 2-3           (o)  Notwithstanding Subsection (n) of this section, a person
 2-4     who was originally licensed as a commercial lessor on or before
 2-5     [June 10, 1989] May 1, 1999 [whose license has been kept in effect
 2-6     since that date], and who is otherwise eligible for the license,
 2-7     may renew the license as a commercial lessor of bingo premises.  A
 2-8     person originally licensed as a commercial lessor after June 10,
 2-9     1989, may lease premises to a single licensed authorized
2-10     organization that subleases or will sublease the premises, or an
2-11     association of authorized organizations licensed to conduct bingo
2-12     that jointly own or lease premises on which bingo is or will be
2-13     conducted, and that the organization or association leases or
2-14     offers for lease to one or more other authorized organizations to
2-15     conduct bingo.
2-16           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-17           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.