AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Unregulated game rooms can often be mediums for illegal activity and lead to decreased public safety. In addition, some game room operators have reportedly set up redemption machines to give cash prizes, violating the law.  In an effort to monitor and control this kind of activity, some counties have pursued the authority to regulate game rooms. Last session, Harris County was granted this ability. As a result, some illegal game rooms in Harris County have relocated operations in adjacent counties, including Galveston County.  S.B. 866 grants  Galveston County the authority to  regulate game rooms and  standardizes the statute,  putting the counties with this authority under the same section.

 

As proposed, S.B. 866 amends current law relating to the regulation of amusement redemption machine game rooms in certain counties.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 234.132, Local Government Code, as added by Chapter 1284 (H.B. 2123), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, as follows:

 

Sec. 234.132.  APPLICABILITY.  Provides that this subchapter applies only to:

 

(1)  a county that has a population of less than 25,000, is adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, and is within 50 miles of an international border;

 

(2)  a county that has a population of four million or more; and

 

(3)  a county that has a population of more than 285,000, is adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, and is adjacent to a county that has a population of four million or more.

 

Makes nonsubstantive changes.

 

SECTION 2.  Repealer: Subchapter E (Game Rooms), Chapter 234 (County Regulation of Businesses and Occupations), Local Government Code, as added by Chapter 1377 (H.B. 1127), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 2015.