S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7539
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 1, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. PHEFFER AMATO -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Ways and Means
 
 AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to requiring the state to  keep
   state  lottery  winners  identities  anonymous  to  the general public
   unless the lottery winner gives their consent
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision a of section 1613 of the tax law, as amended by
 chapter 426 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
   a.  It  shall  be  the duty of the director to require that all prizes
 over five thousand dollars in any game be awarded to holders of  winning
 tickets  for  that  game as provided in this section and section sixteen
 hundred fourteen of this article. Within one week after any  drawing  or
 selection  of  prize winning lottery tickets, the division shall deliver
 to the comptroller a certified list of the tickets to which  prizes  are
 awarded  and  the amount of each such prize. Upon receipt of such certi-
 fied list and voucher of the division, moneys sufficient for the payment
 of such prizes shall be paid to the  division  from  the  lottery  prize
 account,  upon  audit  and  warrant  of  the comptroller. Moneys for the
 payment of lottery prizes shall be deposited by the director as provided
 in section sixteen hundred eleven of this article and the withdrawal  of
 such moneys for the payment of prize winners shall be subject to a check
 signed  by the director or such officers or employees of the division as
 the director may designate. The division shall each  month  provide  the
 comptroller  with  a  record of all such withdrawals from the director's
 accounts. Payment of prizes shall be made by the division to holders  of
 the  tickets  to  which  prizes  are awarded, except that payment of any
 prize drawn may be paid to the estate of a deceased prize winner, may be
 paid pursuant to a court order granted as a result of  a  proceeding  as
 provided  in  subdivision  d of this section, and except that any person
 pursuant to an appropriate judicial order may be paid the prize to which
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              
             
                          
                                                                            LBD09964-01-7
 A. 7539                             2
 
 the winner is entitled.  THE DIVISION SHALL NOT  PUBLICLY  DISCLOSE  THE
 NAME,  ADDRESS  OR  OTHER  IDENTIFYING  INFORMATION  OF  ANY HOLDER OF A
 WINNING TICKET OR REQUIRE ANY  WINNING  TICKET  HOLDER  TO  PERFORM  ANY
 PUBLIC ACTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE AWARDING, PAYMENT OR COLLECTION OF
 PRIZE  MONEYS  UNLESS  A HOLDER OF A WINNING TICKET GIVES CONSENT TO THE
 DIVISION TO DO SO. The division  shall  be  discharged  of  all  further
 liability upon payment of a prize pursuant to this subdivision.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.