Senate Bill S6944

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6944
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             November 17, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. TEDISCO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation  to  waiving  the
   licensing fee for the conducting of bingo for certain purposes
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 481 of the gener-
 al municipal law, as amended by section 5 of part MM of  chapter  59  of
 the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
   (a)  Issuance  of  licenses to conduct bingo. If the governing body of
 the municipality determines that the applicant is duly qualified  to  be
 licensed to conduct bingo under this article; that the member or members
 of the applicant designated in the application to conduct bingo are bona
 fide active members of the applicant and are persons of good moral char-
 acter  and  have  never been convicted of a crime or, if convicted, have
 received a pardon or a certificate of good conduct or a  certificate  of
 relief  from  disabilities  pursuant  to  article  twenty-three  of  the
 correction law; that such games of bingo are to be conducted in  accord-
 ance  with  the  provisions  of  this article and in accordance with the
 rules and regulations of the commission, and that the  proceeds  thereof
 are  to be disposed of as provided by this article, and if the governing
 body is satisfied that no commission, salary,  compensation,  reward  or
 recompense  what  so  ever  will be paid or given to any person holding,
 operating or conducting or  assisting  in  the  holding,  operation  and
 conduct  of  any such games of bingo except as in this article otherwise
 provided; and that no prize will be offered and given in excess  of  the
 sum  or  value  of five thousand dollars in any single game and that the
 aggregate of all prizes offered and given in all of such games conducted
 on a single occasion, under said license shall not  exceed  the  sum  or
 value  of  fifteen thousand dollars, then the municipality shall issue a
 license to the applicant for the conduct of  bingo  upon  payment  of  a
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD13559-02-7

 S. 6944                             2
 
 license  fee  of  eighteen dollars and seventy-five cents for each bingo
 occasion; provided, however, that NO SUCH LICENSE FEE SHALL  BE  CHARGED
 FOR  GAMES  OF BINGO CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO CLAUSE (B) OR (C) OF SUBPARA-
 GRAPH  (I)  OF  PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED
 NINETY-FIVE-A OF THIS ARTICLE; AND PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT the governing
 body shall refuse to issue a license to an applicant seeking to  conduct
 bingo  in  premises of a licensed commercial lessor where such governing
 body determines that the premises presently owned or  occupied  by  such
 applicant  are  in  every  respect  adequate and suitable for conducting
 bingo games.
   § 2. Clauses (B) and (C) of  subparagraph  (i)  of  paragraph  (b)  of
 subdivision  2 of section 495-a of the general municipal law, as amended
 by chapter 441 of the laws of 2007, are amended to read as follows:
   (B) within any apartment, condominium or cooperative complex,  retire-
 ment community, or other group residential complex or facility where (I)
 sponsored  by the operator of or an association related to such complex,
 community or facility, (II) such games  are  conducted  solely  for  the
 purpose  of  amusement and recreation of its residents, (III) [no player
 or other person furnishes anything  of  value  for  the  opportunity  to
 participate,  (IV)] the value of the prizes shall not exceed [ten] TWEN-
 TY-FIVE dollars for any one game or  a  total  of  [one]  THREE  hundred
 [fifty] SEVENTY-FIVE dollars in any calendar [day] YEAR, [(V)] (IV) such
 games  are  not  conducted  on  more  than [fifteen] TWO days during any
 calendar [year] WEEK, and [(VI)] (V) no person other than an employee or
 volunteer of such complex, community or facility conducts or assists  in
 conducting the game or games.
   (C) on behalf of any bona fide social, charitable, educational, recre-
 ational,  fraternal,  RELIGIOUS,  NOT-FOR-PROFIT, or age group organiza-
 tion, club or association solely for the purpose of amusement and recre-
 ation of its members or beneficiaries where  (I)  [no  player  or  other
 person  furnishes  anything of value for the opportunity to participate,
 (II)] the value of the prizes shall not exceed [ten] TWENTY-FIVE dollars
 for any one game or a total of [one] THREE hundred [fifty]  SEVENTY-FIVE
 dollars  in  any  calendar  [day]  YEAR, [(III)] (II) such games are not
 conducted on more than [fifteen] TWO days  during  any  calendar  [year]
 WEEK, [(IV)] (III) no person other than a bona fide active member of the
 organization,  club  or  association  participates in the conduct of the
 games, and [(V)] (IV) no person is paid for conducting or  assisting  in
 the conduct of the game or games.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.