What's happening
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to allow a new state lottery game funding community grants for nonprofit groups providing educational, cultural, or social services.
Why it matters
Expands lottery funding beyond education. This amendment would allow the creation of a new state lottery game with proceeds dedicated not just to education, but also to a broad range of community-based nonprofit organizations that provide educational, recreational, cultural, senior, veterans, or social services, as well as volunteer ambulance services.
Targets specific types of nonprofits. Only nonprofit groups organized under paragraphs three or four of section 501(c) of the federal tax code (typically charitable, educational, or social welfare organizations) would be eligible for these community grants, potentially directing significant new resources to local service providers.
Could increase funding streams for local programs. By establishing a separate lottery game for this purpose, the amendment may create a reliable, ongoing source of funding for community initiatives that often struggle for stable support, potentially enhancing the services available to vulnerable populations across New York State.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Lottery Funds Community Grants
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Opinion referred to judiciary
- To attorney-general for opinion
- Referred to judiciary
- Opinion referred to judiciary
- To attorney-general for opinion
- Referred to judiciary
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Create Community Grant Lottery
In Assembly Committee · Judiciary · Sponsor David Weprin
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1275
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2017
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing an amendment to section 9 of article 1 of the constitution, in relation to authorizing a lottery game for a community grant fund, which fund shall be dedicated to certain community groups
Section 1. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That subdivision 1 of section 9 of article 1 of the constitution be amended to read as follows:
1. No law shall be passed abridging the rights of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government, or any department thereof; nor shall any divorce be granted otherwise than by due judicial proceedings; except as hereinafter provided, no lottery or the sale of lottery tickets, pool-selling, book-making, or any other kind of gambling, except lotteries operated by the state and the sale of lottery tickets in connection therewith as may be authorized and prescribed by the legislature, the net proceeds of which shall be applied exclusively to or in aid or support of education in this state as the legislature may prescribe, except that the legislature may enact legislation authorizing the creation of a separate lottery game the proceeds of which shall be applied exclusively to a community grant fund to be created by such legislation, which fund shall be dedicated to community groups organized pursuant to paragraph three or four of subdivision (c) of section five hundred one of the internal revenue code of nineteen hundred eighty-six, as amended, administering educational, recreational, cultural, senior, veterans or social services programs or providing volunteer ambulance services, as the legislature may prescribe, except pari-mutuel betting on horse races as may be prescribed by the legislature and from which the state shall derive a reasonable revenue for the support of government, and except casino gambling at no more than seven facilities as authorized and prescribed by the legislature shall hereafter be authorized or allowed within this state; and the legislature
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD89013-01-7
S. 1275 2
shall pass appropriate laws to prevent offenses against any of the provisions of this section.
§ 2. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That the foregoing amendment be referred to the first regular legislative session convening after the next succeeding general election of members of the assembly, and, in conformity with section 1 of article 19 of the constitution, be published for 3 months previous to the time of such election.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing an amendment to section 9 of article 1 of the constitution, in relation to authorizing a lottery game for a community grant fund, which fund shall be dedicated to certain community groups
Summary of provisions
Article 1, Section 9 of the State Constitution would be amended to allow for an additional exception to the prohibition on all gambling to include the creation of a separate lottery game the proceeds of which shall be applied exclusively to a community grant fund to be created by such legislation, which fund shall be dedicated to community groups administering educational, recreational, cultural, senior, veterans or social service programs or providing volunteer ambulance services as authorized and prescribed by the legislature.
Existing law
Article 1, Section 9 of the State Constitution generally proscribes all gambling except for four exceptions. These four exceptions are: (1) pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing; (2) State lotteries; (3) bingo conducted by certain charitable, non-profit and religious organizations; and (4) games of chance conducted by these same charitable, non-profit, and religious organizations.
Justification
A constitutional amendment is required before a separate lottery game may be created whose proceeds would be used to exclusively fund a "Community Grant Fund" program that would in turn be dedicated to community groups administering educational, recreational, and cultural, senior, veterans or social services programs or providing volunteer ambulance services.
Since 2010, the executive branch of the state has ceased any allocation of discretionary funds that could be used to fund local programs in legislators' districts. The loss of these funds has placed tremendous financial burden on local groups that have relied on this supportive funding to provide vital community programs to the state's residents.
This loss is on top of already draconian budget cuts that occurred in 2011 and the loss of private funding sources that began to disappear as a result of the national economic crises in 2008.
Community programs have been left in the cold in their efforts to provide educational, recreational, cultural, senior or veterans programs or providing volunteer ambulance services to communities that have relied on those services for years. This includes things like senior centers, youth sports programs like Little League, afterschool programs and many, many other important community based programs.
The new lottery game proceeds that will be dedicated to the "Community Grant Fund" will enable these important community programs to continue to operate.
The state government cannot keep asking our citizens to bear the tremendous burden of cuts in services to due state budget deficits and simultaneously remove funding sources that are depended upon by local community groups that often step in to fill the void left when state government services are reduced or eliminated.
Legislative history
2015-2016, S.941/A.3362 (Weprin) 2013-2014, S.330/A.2370(Weprin) 2011-2012, S.7276-B
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Resolved (if the concur), that the foregoing amendment be referred to the first regular legislative session convening after the next succeeding general election of members of the assembly, and, in conformity with section 1 of article 19 of the constitution, be published for 3 months previous to the time of such election.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.