Bill Text: NY S07301 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Establishes the task force on the implementation of responsible gaming procedures to develop policies and procedures that foster responsible gaming practices by gaming facilities in New York state.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-06-14 - PRINT NUMBER 7301A [S07301 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-S07301-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         7301
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                      May 2, 2012
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  KLEIN  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
       AN ACT in relation to establishing the legislative task force on respon-
         sible gaming
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1. Legislative findings. a. The legislature hereby finds that
    2  the recently enacted 2012-2013 New York state budget amended  the  state
    3  constitution  to allow for non-tribal casino gaming in New York. It also
    4  included provisions to create a New York state gaming commission,  as  a
    5  result  of the merger between the division of lottery and the racing and
    6  wagering board. The commission is charged with oversight of the division
    7  of lottery, the division of charitable gaming, the division  of  gaming,
    8  and the division of horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering. This legisla-
    9  tive action consolidated the state's gaming regulatory functions under a
   10  single oversight body.
   11    b.  The  legislature  further finds that there are severe consequences
   12  associated with problem gambling. According  to  the  National  Gambling
   13  Impact  Study  Commission, gambling addictions increase by approximately
   14  ten percent within a 50-mile radius of casinos and bankruptcy rates  are
   15  about  18  percent  higher  in  communities with casinos. According to a
   16  study by the University of  Illinois  and  the  University  of  Georgia,
   17  researchers  put  society's cost for a problem gambler at $13,586; other
   18  studies put that figure as high as $52,000.  Additionally,  it  is  well
   19  documented  that problem gambling results in the increase of a myriad of
   20  public health  problems  such  as  drug  addiction,  domestic  violence,
   21  divorce, child abuse, suicide attempts, and crime.
   22    c.  The legislature further finds that the development of policies and
   23  procedures that foster responsible gaming practices by gaming facilities
   24  licensed or enfranchised by the New York state gaming commission or  its
   25  divisions  is necessary to mitigate the risks or consequences associated
   26  with problem gambling. The legislature concludes that this can  be  best
   27  accomplished by the creation of a task force on responsible gaming.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD15685-01-2
       S. 7301                             2
    1    S 2. Legislative task force on responsible gaming.  A legislative task
    2  force on responsible gaming is hereby established to:
    3    (a)  Identify policies and programs that mitigate the risks and conse-
    4  quences associated with  compulsive  gambling  and  promote  responsible
    5  gaming practices for all gaming activities authorized in New York state.
    6    (b) Recommend policies and procedures to be promulgated in regulations
    7  by  the  New  York  state  gaming commission and its divisions to ensure
    8  responsible gaming in all facilities licensed or  enfranchised  by  such
    9  commission or divisions.
   10    (c)  Recommend a structure by which all responsible gaming regulations
   11  promulgated by the  commission  or  its  divisions  shall  be  enforced,
   12  including  but  not  limited  to  penalties for violations of regulatory
   13  standards and corrective action.
   14    (d) Identifying methods to measure effectiveness  of  any  responsible
   15  gaming procedures implemented.
   16    (e)  Identify and recommend provisions necessary to ensure responsible
   17  gaming practices to be  included  in  enabling  legislation  authorizing
   18  casino style gaming facilities in New York state.
   19    S  3.  Composition.  The  task  force shall consist of eleven members.
   20  Task force members appointed or designated  shall  have  experience  and
   21  expertise in one or more of the following areas:
   22    1) the prevention of problem gambling;
   23    2) the treatment of problem gambling;
   24    3) administration of problem gambling programs within a gaming facili-
   25  ty.
   26    The  task  force  shall  consist  of eleven members to be appointed as
   27  follows: two members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly, one
   28  member to be appointed by the  minority  leader  of  the  assembly,  two
   29  members  to  be  appointed by the temporary president of the senate, and
   30  one member to be appointed by the minority leader  of  the  senate.  The
   31  task force shall also include the commissioner of the office of alcohol-
   32  ism  and  substance abuse services or his or her designee, the executive
   33  director of the New York state gaming commission or his or her designee,
   34  the director of the division of lottery or  his  or  her  designee,  the
   35  director  of the division of gaming or his or her designee, the director
   36  of the division of horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering or his  or  her
   37  designee. The chair shall be designated by a simple majority vote of all
   38  members of the task force.
   39    S  4.  Compensation.  Members  shall receive no compensation for their
   40  services but shall be reimbursed for their expenses actually and  neces-
   41  sarily incurred in the performance of any of their duties.
   42    S  5. Report. The task force shall create a final report regarding all
   43  findings and recommendations to be  delivered  upon  completion  of  all
   44  objectives  described  herein,  but  in  no event later than February 1,
   45  2013, to the governor, the speaker of the  assembly  and  the  temporary
   46  president of the senate. At the completion of all duties described here-
   47  in the legislative task force shall be dissolved.
   48    S 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
feedback