BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

S.B. 1342

By: Seliger

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

According to certain interested parties, there is concern regarding current statutory provisions prohibiting the value of health insurance or a health benefit provided by a licensed authorized organization that conducts bingo to an employee from being included in the amount of a fee authorized by the Texas Lottery Commission.  The parties assert that the provisions were intended as a way of separating the value of such insurance or benefit from fees paid to employees and not to prohibit such organizations from offering health insurance benefits to their employees. S.B. 1342 seeks to remedy this situation by including health insurance and health insurance benefits for employees among the expenses a licensed authorized organization is allowed to pay from its bingo proceeds.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

S.B. 1342 amends the Occupations Code, in the list of expenses that are reasonable or necessary to conduct bingo that are excepted from the prohibition against certain items of expense being incurred or paid in connection with the conduct of bingo, to expand that list to include an expense for fees for bingo chairpersons, operators, managers, and salespersons and an expense for health insurance or health insurance benefits for bingo chairpersons, operators, managers, salespersons, callers, cashiers, and ushers, as provided by the bill's provisions.

 

S.B. 1342 prohibits the value of health insurance or health insurance benefits provided by an authorized organization licensed to conduct bingo to an employee from exceeding 50 percent of the total premium owed.  The bill specifies that if an employee is employed by more than one such organization, the combined value of health insurance or health insurance benefits provided to the employee by the employing organizations may not exceed 50 percent of the total premium owed.  The bill removes a provision of law establishing that the value of health insurance or a health benefit provided by a licensed authorized organization to an employee is not included under the exception of an expense for fees for certain employees of such an organization from the prohibition against specified items of expense being incurred or paid in connection with the conduct of bingo.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2011.