Bill Text: TX HB59 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to certain lottery prize winners' choice to remain anonymous.
Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-12 - Effective on 9/1/17 [HB59 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB59-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 59 | ||
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| relating to certain lottery prize winners' choice to remain | ||
| anonymous. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 466.015, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: | ||
| (b-1) The commission shall adopt rules governing | ||
| nondisclosure of the personally identifiable information of | ||
| certain lottery prize winners under Section 466.411. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 466.022(b), Government Code, is amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (b) In addition to commission records excepted from | ||
| disclosure under Chapter 552, the following information is | ||
| confidential and is exempt from disclosure: | ||
| (1) security plans and procedures of the commission | ||
| designed to ensure the integrity and security of the operation of | ||
| the lottery; | ||
| (2) information of a nature that is designed to ensure | ||
| the integrity and security of the selection of winning tickets or | ||
| numbers in the lottery, other than information describing the | ||
| general procedures for selecting winning tickets or numbers; [ |
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| (3) the street address and telephone number of a prize | ||
| winner, if the prize winner has not consented to the release of the | ||
| information; and | ||
| (4) except as otherwise authorized by Section 466.411, | ||
| all personally identifiable information of a natural person who is: | ||
| (A) a lottery prize winner and who has chosen to | ||
| remain anonymous under Section 466.411; or | ||
| (B) an owner of a beneficial interest in a legal | ||
| entity that is a lottery prize winner and who has chosen to remain | ||
| anonymous under Section 466.411. | ||
| SECTION 3. Subchapter I, Chapter 466, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 466.411 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 466.411. CHOICE BY CERTAIN PRIZE WINNERS TO REMAIN | ||
| ANONYMOUS. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), a natural person who is | ||
| a prize winner of a lottery prize in an amount equal to $1 million or | ||
| more, or who is an owner of a beneficial interest in a legal entity | ||
| that is a prize winner of a lottery prize in an amount equal to $1 | ||
| million or more, may on the date the winner claims the prize choose | ||
| to remain anonymous and prohibit all personally identifiable | ||
| information from being released to the public. | ||
| (b) The commission may release or disclose the personally | ||
| identifiable information of a natural person who is a lottery prize | ||
| winner if the person chooses to have the prize paid in periodic | ||
| installments. The commission may only disclose the information on | ||
| or after the 30th day after the date the person claims the lottery | ||
| prize if the person chooses to remain anonymous under Subsection | ||
| (a). | ||
| (c) For purposes of this section, the amount of a lottery | ||
| prize is the total amount of prize money paid to a prize winner for a | ||
| single lottery prize claim, whether paid in one payment or in | ||
| periodic installments, before deducting any federal tax | ||
| withholdings or other deductions required by law. | ||
| (d) This section does not prohibit release of a natural | ||
| person prize winner's city or county of residence or prevent the | ||
| commission from releasing the person's personally identifiable | ||
| information to the Health and Human Services Commission or as | ||
| necessary to comply with Section 466.407 or 466.4075. | ||
| SECTION 4. (a) Not later than December 1, 2017, the Texas | ||
| Lottery Commission shall adopt the rules and procedures necessary | ||
| to implement the changes in law made by this Act to Chapter 466, | ||
| Government Code. | ||
| (b) Section 466.411, Government Code, as added by this Act, | ||
| applies only to an initial claim for a lottery prize in an amount | ||
| equal to $1 million or more that is submitted to the Texas Lottery | ||
| Commission on or after January 1, 2018. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 59 was passed by the House on April | ||
| 25, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 0, 2 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 59 was passed by the Senate on May 24, | ||
| 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| _____________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
