BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 2254
89R3485 PRL-D	By: Flores
	State Affairs
	5/1/2025
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Charitable raffles are used by non-profit wildlife associations to fund conservation efforts, supporting habitat restoration, wildlife protection, and other related initiatives. Current law does not allow these non-profits to sell raffle tickets online, limiting them to in-person sales and only permitting online promotion and advertisement. This curbs the ability of wildlife conservation organizations to conduct raffles, restricting fundraising potential and member participation.

S.B. 2254 amends the Occupations Code to create an exception for non-profit wildlife associations to use their websites to sell tickets online for a statewide raffle. Doing so gives these organizations the ability to accept online payments, provide transparency and unbiased computer draws, and allow for the funding of conservation efforts outside of in-person events, and would modernize raffle sales to make them more accessible, secure, and efficient.

As proposed, S.B. 2254 amends current law relating to the sale of charitable raffle tickets by certain nonprofit wildlife conservation associations.

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 2002.054, Occupations Code, by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1), as follows:

(a) Creates an exception under Subsection (a-1).

(a-1) Authorizes a nonprofit wildlife conservation association, including each local chapter, affiliate, wildlife cooperative, or unit, that for purposes of this chapter is a qualified nonprofit organization eligible under Section 2002.003(e) (relating to providing that a nonprofit wildlife conservation association and its local chapters, affiliates, wildlife cooperatives, or units are qualified nonprofit organizations if the parent association meets certain eligibility criteria), to use the organization's Internet website to sell or offer to sell tickets for a raffle to previously identified supporters of the organization. Provides that this subsection does not authorize the use of an Internet website to provide a graphic or dynamic animation of an entry to a raffle or provide a graphic or dynamic animation of the drawing of raffle tickets.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.