By: Chavez H.B. No. 2535

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of federally recognized Indian tribes along the Texas-Mexico border to engage in bingo.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 2001.002(11), Occupations Code, is amended to read as follows:

(11) "Fraternal organization" means:

(A) a nonprofit organization organized to perform and engaged primarily in performing charitable, benevolent, patriotic, employment-related, or educational functions that meet the other requirements of this chapter; [or]

(B) a nonprofit National Historical District Association representing the owners and lessees of a majority of the real property located in a National Historical District designated for not less than five years by the National Register of Historic Places, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service of the United States Department of the Interior, if the association's net proceeds are used for restoration, construction, maintenance, and security in the district. The term "fraternal organization" does not include an organization whose members are predominantly veterans or dependents of veterans of the armed services of the United States; or

(C) a nonprofit organization that:

(i) is organized under tribal law by a federally recognized Indian tribe that is not subject to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (18 U.S.C. Section 1166 et seq. and 25 U.S.C. Section 2701 et seq.) and that exercises tribal authority over a reservation, as defined by 25 U.S.C. Section 1300g, that is located in a county on the international border with Mexico; and

(ii) is organized to perform and is engaged primarily in performing charitable, benevolent, patriotic, employment-related, or educational functions.

SECTION 19.02. Subchapter C, Chapter 2001, Occupations Code, is amended by adding Section 2001.1015 to read as follows:

Sec. 2001.1015. CHARITABLE BINGO BY TRIBAL FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS. (a) A nonprofit organization in existence for at least 180 days that qualifies as a fraternal organization under Section 2001.002(11)(C) may conduct bingo on the reservation of the Indian tribe under whose tribal law the organization is organized on adoption by the tribe of rules governing the conduct of bingo by the organization that conform to the substantive provisions of this chapter and of Sections 47(b) and (c), Article III, Texas Constitution.

(b) In accordance with Section 107(b), Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas Restoration Act (25 U.S.C. Section 1300g-6), an organization described by Subsection (a) may conduct bingo activities in accordance with the tribe's rules adopted under Subsection (a) without submitting to the regulatory jurisdiction, including licensing requirements, of this state.

(c) A nonprofit organization described by Subsection (b) may not conduct bingo under this section unless the organization transfers to the state on a monthly basis an amount equal to five percent of the gross receipts from bingo in a manner determined by the comptroller.