H. B. 2766
(By Delegate Caputo)
[Introduced February 15, 1999; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section eleven, article twenty,
chapter forty-seven of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to
removal of the limiting language as to organizational
membership and years of membership, and substituting the
approval of the tax commissioner, under the commission's
rules, to determine those persons suitable to operate bingo
games and related concessions.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section eleven, article twenty, chapter forty-seven of
the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one,
as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 20. CHARITABLE BINGO.
§47-20-11. Operator of bingo games and related concessions.
Except as provided in sections thirteen and twenty-two of
this article, only persons, as defined in section two of this
article, who are residents of this state and who are active
members of the licensee organization or its authorized auxiliary
organization and who have been active members in good standing of
the licensee organization or its authorized auxiliary for at
least two years prior to the date of filing of the application
for a charitable bingo license or the most recent filing of an
application for renewal of the license are approved by the tax
commissioner, in accordance with the rules of the commission may
participate in any manner in the conduct of any bingo game or
operate any concession in conjunction with a bingo occasion:
Provided, That notwithstanding anything contained in this article
to the contrary, no individual under the age of eighteen years
may directly or indirectly participate in the conduct of a bingo
game except for junior firefighters, in accordance with the
provisions of this article.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to remove statutory
impediments to the licensing of otherwise suitable applicants,
and permit the commission, under its rules, to make judgments as
to those suitable to operate the games.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.