HBA-DMH H.B. 2629 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2629 By: Wohlgemuth Licensing & Administrative Procedures 3/19/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Texas regulates the operation of bingo games through the Bingo Enabling Act. Currently, businesses operating bingo games as a community service are technically committing a violation under the Act. House Bill 2629 authorizes a business to operate a bingo game as a community service without committing a violation if the game is limited to persons over 55 years of age and meets specified operating requirements. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 2629 amends the Occupations Code to provide that a person is exempt from an offense for conducting, promoting, or administering bingo if it is on behalf of a business conducting the game as a community service. The bill provides that bingo is considered to be on behalf of a community service if: _the game is restricted to players 55 years of age or over; _participation in the game is open to the general public and is not limited to customers of the business; _playing materials are furnished without charge to a person on request; _no player or other person furnishes anything of more than nominal value for the opportunity to participate; and _the prizes awarded or to be awarded are nominal. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.