SSB 6615 -
By Senator Prentice
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"Sec. 1 RCW 9.46.295 and 1974 ex.s. c 155 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Any license to engage in any of the gambling activities
authorized by this chapter ((as now exists or as hereafter amended)),
and issued under the authority thereof shall be legal authority to
engage in the gambling activities for which issued throughout the
incorporated and unincorporated area of any county, except that a city
located therein with respect to that city, or a county with respect to
all areas within that county except for such cities, may absolutely
prohibit((, but may not change the scope of license,)) any or all of
the gambling activities for which the license was issued.
(2) Nothing in this section authorizes any city, town, city-county,
or county to adopt or enforce any ordinance, resolution, or other
legislative act changing or purporting to change any provision within
the scope of a license issued under this chapter.
(3) For purposes of this section, an ordinance, resolution, or
other legislative act that:
(a) Prohibits all house-banked card games within the applicable
jurisdiction on and after the effective date of the legislative act, or
on and after any other date specified in the legislative act, shall be
deemed to be an act adopted in compliance with this section; and
(b) Prohibits or purports to prohibit any or some house-banked card
games within the jurisdiction, but also allows or purports to allow any
house-banked card games to be located or continue to operate within the
applicable jurisdiction for an indefinite period after the effective
date of the legislative act, or another date, if any, specified in the
legislative act, shall be deemed to be an act not in compliance with
this section, and is null and void, except as provided in section 2 of
this act.
(4) No ordinance complying with subsection (3)(a) of this section
that is in effect or adopted after the effective date of this act may
be amended, revoked, rescinded, repealed, or otherwise altered or
invalidated.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 9.46 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) A jurisdiction that, as of November 30, 2005, had in effect an
ordinance, resolution, or other legislative act that is or would have
been null and void under RCW 9.46.295(3)(b) may petition for an
exemption from RCW 9.46.295(3)(b) if the jurisdiction submits a
petition that:
(a) Is in the form of a resolution requesting such exemption that
is adopted by and bears the signatures of not less than fifty percent
of the voting members of the legislative body of the jurisdiction;
(b) Is received by the commission by December 31, 2006;
(c) Contains an acknowledgment that the petition to be exempt from
RCW 9.46.295(3)(b) is permanent and irrevocable, except as provided by
subsection (3) of this section; and
(d) Identifies with particularity the location or locations within
the jurisdiction where, as of January 31, 2006, a license for a house-banked card game had been either: (i) Issued by the commission and was
in effect; or (ii) applied for pursuant to the laws and rules of both
the jurisdiction and the commission, and had not been subsequently
denied by the commission, or rejected by the jurisdiction.
(2) Upon receipt of a petition complying with subsection (1) of
this section, the commission shall enter the petition into the record
of the next regularly scheduled commission meeting and transmit
correspondence to the jurisdiction acknowledging that the petition had
been received and filed. After the filing of such petition, the
commission shall neither issue nor renew any license to engage in a
house-banked card game within the jurisdiction except in a location
specified in the petition.
(3) A licensee authorized to engage in house-banked card games
pursuant to a license issued or renewed in accordance with this section
may continue to engage in the gambling activity authorized under the
license until the city, town, city-county, or county with jurisdiction
over the location identified in the license has in effect an ordinance,
resolution, or other legislative act adopted under RCW 9.46.295(3)(a)
prohibiting such gambling activity.
Sec. 3 RCW 9.46.070 and 2002 c 119 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
The commission shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) To authorize and issue licenses for a period not to exceed one
year to bona fide charitable or nonprofit organizations approved by the
commission meeting the requirements of this chapter and any rules ((and
regulations)) adopted pursuant thereto permitting said organizations to
conduct bingo games, raffles, amusement games, and social card games,
to utilize punch boards and pull-tabs in accordance with the provisions
of this chapter and any rules ((and regulations)) adopted pursuant
thereto and to revoke or suspend said licenses for violation of any
provisions of this chapter or any rules ((and regulations)) adopted
pursuant thereto((: PROVIDED, That)). However, except as provided in
RCW 9.46.295, the commission shall not deny a license to an otherwise
qualified applicant in an effort to limit the number of licenses to be
issued((: PROVIDED FURTHER, That)). The commission or director shall
not issue, deny, suspend, or revoke any license because of
considerations of race, sex, creed, color, or national origin((: AND
PROVIDED FURTHER, That)). The commission may authorize the director to
temporarily issue or suspend licenses subject to final action by the
commission;
(2) To authorize and issue licenses for a period not to exceed one
year to any person, association, or organization operating a business
primarily engaged in the selling of items of food or drink for
consumption on the premises, approved by the commission meeting the
requirements of this chapter and any rules ((and regulations)) adopted
pursuant thereto permitting said person, association, or organization
to utilize punch boards and pull-tabs and to conduct social card games
as a commercial stimulant in accordance with the provisions of this
chapter and any rules ((and regulations)) adopted pursuant thereto and
to revoke or suspend said licenses for violation of any provisions of
this chapter and any rules ((and regulations)) adopted pursuant
thereto((: PROVIDED, That)). However, except as provided in RCW
9.46.295, the commission shall not deny a license to an otherwise
qualified applicant in an effort to limit the number of licenses to be
issued((: PROVIDED FURTHER, That)). The commission may authorize the
director to temporarily issue or suspend licenses subject to final
action by the commission;
(3) To authorize and issue licenses for a period not to exceed one
year to any person, association, or organization approved by the
commission meeting the requirements of this chapter and meeting the
requirements of any rules and regulations adopted by the commission
pursuant to this chapter as now or hereafter amended, permitting said
person, association, or organization to conduct or operate amusement
games in such manner and at such locations as the commission may
determine;
(4) To authorize, require, and issue, for a period not to exceed
one year, such licenses as the commission may by rule provide, to any
person, association, or organization to engage in the selling,
distributing, or otherwise supplying or in the manufacturing of devices
for use within this state for those activities authorized by this
chapter;
(5) To establish a schedule of annual license fees for carrying on
specific gambling activities upon the premises, and for such other
activities as may be licensed by the commission, which fees shall
provide to the commission not less than an amount of money adequate to
cover all costs incurred by the commission relative to licensing under
this chapter and the enforcement by the commission of the provisions of
this chapter and rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto:
PROVIDED, That all licensing fees shall be submitted with an
application therefor and such portion of said fee as the commission may
determine, based upon its cost of processing and investigation, shall
be retained by the commission upon the withdrawal or denial of any such
license application as its reasonable expense for processing the
application and investigation into the granting thereof: PROVIDED
FURTHER, That if in a particular case the basic license fee established
by the commission for a particular class of license is less than the
commission's actual expenses to investigate that particular
application, the commission may at any time charge to that applicant
such additional fees as are necessary to pay the commission for those
costs. The commission may decline to proceed with its investigation
and no license shall be issued until the commission has been fully paid
therefor by the applicant: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That the commission
may establish fees for the furnishing by it to licensees of
identification stamps to be affixed to such devices and equipment as
required by the commission and for such other special services or
programs required or offered by the commission, the amount of each of
these fees to be not less than is adequate to offset the cost to the
commission of the stamps and of administering their dispersal to
licensees or the cost of administering such other special services,
requirements or programs;
(6) To prescribe the manner and method of payment of taxes, fees
and penalties to be paid to or collected by the commission;
(7) To require that applications for all licenses contain such
information as may be required by the commission: PROVIDED, That all
persons (a) having a managerial or ownership interest in any gambling
activity, or the building in which any gambling activity occurs, or the
equipment to be used for any gambling activity, or (b) participating as
an employee in the operation of any gambling activity, shall be listed
on the application for the license and the applicant shall certify on
the application, under oath, that the persons named on the application
are all of the persons known to have an interest in any gambling
activity, building, or equipment by the person making such application:
PROVIDED FURTHER, That the commission shall require fingerprinting and
national criminal history background checks on any persons seeking
licenses, certifications, or permits under this chapter or of any
person holding an interest in any gambling activity, building, or
equipment to be used therefor, or of any person participating as an
employee in the operation of any gambling activity. All national
criminal history background checks shall be conducted using
fingerprints submitted to the United States department of justice-federal bureau of investigation. The commission must establish rules
to delineate which persons named on the application are subject to
national criminal history background checks. In identifying these
persons, the commission must take into consideration the nature,
character, size, and scope of the gambling activities requested by the
persons making such applications;
(8) To require that any license holder maintain records as directed
by the commission and submit such reports as the commission may deem
necessary;
(9) To require that all income from bingo games, raffles, and
amusement games be recorded and reported as established by rule or
regulation of the commission to the extent deemed necessary by
considering the scope and character of the gambling activity in such a
manner that will disclose gross income from any gambling activity,
amounts received from each player, the nature and value of prizes, and
the fact of distributions of such prizes to the winners thereof;
(10) To regulate and establish maximum limitations on income
derived from bingo. In establishing limitations pursuant to this
subsection the commission shall take into account (i) the nature,
character, and scope of the activities of the licensee; (ii) the source
of all other income of the licensee; and (iii) the percentage or extent
to which income derived from bingo is used for charitable, as
distinguished from nonprofit, purposes. However, the commission's
powers and duties granted by this subsection are discretionary and not
mandatory;
(11) To regulate and establish the type and scope of and manner of
conducting the gambling activities authorized by this chapter,
including but not limited to, the extent of wager, money, or other
thing of value which may be wagered or contributed or won by a player
in any such activities;
(12) To regulate the collection of and the accounting for the fee
which may be imposed by an organization, corporation, or person
licensed to conduct a social card game on a person desiring to become
a player in a social card game in accordance with RCW 9.46.0282;
(13) To cooperate with and secure the cooperation of county, city,
and other local or state agencies in investigating any matter within
the scope of its duties and responsibilities;
(14) In accordance with RCW 9.46.080, to adopt such rules and
regulations as are deemed necessary to carry out the purposes and
provisions of this chapter. All rules and regulations shall be adopted
pursuant to the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW;
(15) To set forth for the perusal of counties, city-counties,
cities and towns, model ordinances by which any legislative authority
thereof may enter into the taxing of any gambling activity authorized
by this chapter;
(16) To establish and regulate a maximum limit on salaries or wages
which may be paid to persons employed in connection with activities
conducted by bona fide charitable or nonprofit organizations and
authorized by this chapter, where payment of such persons is allowed,
and to regulate and establish maximum limits for other expenses in
connection with such authorized activities, including but not limited
to rent or lease payments. However, the commissioner's powers and
duties granted by this subsection are discretionary and not mandatory.
In establishing these maximum limits the commission shall take into
account the amount of income received, or expected to be received, from
the class of activities to which the limits will apply and the amount
of money the games could generate for authorized charitable or
nonprofit purposes absent such expenses. The commission may also take
into account, in its discretion, other factors, including but not
limited to, the local prevailing wage scale and whether charitable
purposes are benefited by the activities;
(17) To authorize, require, and issue for a period not to exceed
one year such licenses or permits, for which the commission may by rule
provide, to any person to work for any operator of any gambling
activity authorized by this chapter in connection with that activity,
or any manufacturer, supplier, or distributor of devices for those
activities in connection with such business. The commission shall not
require that persons working solely as volunteers in an authorized
activity conducted by a bona fide charitable or bona fide nonprofit
organization, who receive no compensation of any kind for any purpose
from that organization, and who have no managerial or supervisory
responsibility in connection with that activity, be licensed to do such
work. The commission may require that licensees employing such
unlicensed volunteers submit to the commission periodically a list of
the names, addresses, and dates of birth of the volunteers. If any
volunteer is not approved by the commission, the commission may require
that the licensee not allow that person to work in connection with the
licensed activity;
(18) To publish and make available at the office of the commission
or elsewhere to anyone requesting it a list of the commission
licensees, including the name, address, type of license, and license
number of each licensee;
(19) To establish guidelines for determining what constitutes
active membership in bona fide nonprofit or charitable organizations
for the purposes of this chapter; and
(20) To perform all other matters and things necessary to carry out
the purposes and provisions of this chapter.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 This act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the
state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect
immediately."
SSB 6615 -
By Senator
On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "games;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 9.46.295 and 9.46.070; adding a new section to chapter 9.46 RCW; and declaring an emergency."