BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 871

By: Davis

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Several years ago, the veterans' assistance lottery game was created as one of the primary sources of revenue for the Texas Veterans Commission's fund for veterans' assistance. It is estimated that nearly $20 million in grants has been awarded from this fund to date, which interested parties note is used to provide direct services to Texas veterans and their families for a broad range of needs. These parties note that the veterans' assistance lottery game is the only lottery game in Texas that directly benefits veterans and contend that the Texas Lottery Commission should spend an equal amount of its marketing and advertising budget for the promotion of this game as it does for any other instant-ticket lottery game under the lottery commission's operation. S.B. 871 seeks to impose this requirement.

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. 871 amends the Government Code to require the amount the Texas Lottery Commission spends on its marketing and advertising budget to promote an instant-ticket lottery game to benefit the fund for veterans' assistance to be equivalent to the amount the lottery commission spends to promote any other instant-ticket lottery game operated under the State Lottery Act.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.