What's happening
This bill requires that all unclaimed lottery prize money be paid into the state treasury for the state lottery fund.
Why it matters
Redirects all unclaimed lottery prize money (and any interest earned on it) into the state’s general lottery fund, instead of allowing it to be used for special prizes or promotional games. This could increase the amount of revenue available for state purposes, such as education or other programs funded by the lottery.
Removes the lottery director’s discretion over how unclaimed prize funds are used. Previously, the director could allocate these funds for special or supplemental prizes and promotional activities, sometimes with notification to legislative committees; the new language eliminates this flexibility.
Increases transparency and accountability. by mandating that all unclaimed funds go directly into the state treasury, making it easier for the public and lawmakers to track how much additional revenue unclaimed prizes are generating for state use.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Send Unclaimed Lottery Money to State
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to racing, gaming and wagering
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to racing, gaming and wagering
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.
Send Unclaimed Lottery Money
In Assembly Committee · Ways And Means · Sponsor Angelo Santabarbara
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2711
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 29, 2019
Introduced by Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering
AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to requiring unclaimed lottery prizes to be paid into the state treasury
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision a of section 1614 of the tax law, as amended by chapter 170 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
a. No prize claim shall be valid if submitted to the division following the expiration of a one-year time period from the date of the drawing or from the close of the game in which a prize was won, and the person otherwise entitled to such prize shall forfeit any claim or entitlement to such prize moneys. Unclaimed prize money, plus interest earned thereon, shall be [retained in the lottery prize account to be used for payment of special lotto or supplemental lotto prizes offered pursuant to the plan or plans specified in this article, or for promotional purposes to supplement other games on an occasional basis not to exceed sixteen weeks within any twelve month period pursuant to the plan or plans specified in this article.
In the event that the director proposes to change any plan for the use of unclaimed prize funds or in the event the director intends to use funds in a game other than the game from which such unclaimed prize funds were derived, the director of the budget, the chairperson of the senate finance committee, and the chairperson of the assembly ways and means committee shall be notified in writing separately detailing the proposed changes to any plan prior to the implementation of the changes] paid into the state treasury, to the credit of the state lottery fund created by section ninety-two-c of the state finance law.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04191-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the tax law, in relation to requiring unclaimed lottery prizes to be paid into the state treasury
Summary of provisions
Section one amends subdivision (a) of section 1614 of the tax law to require unclaimed lottery winnings to be paid into the state treasury fund for education after the one year waiting period.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
Justification
The voters of New York amended the State Constitution in 1967 to allow for a state lottery to support public education within the state. However, state aid to education funding has been severely restricted over the past few years. Current law allows a winner up to one year to claim a lottery prize. After a year, money is distributed back into the prize pool.
With lottery money intended to be spent on education, allowing unclaimed funds to go towards education would greatly help our schools. For 2016- 2017, an estimated $74 million in lotto prizes went unclaimed, which could substantially help fund New York's schools.(1) Positive impact on educational spending.
Prior legislative history
2017-18: S.8094 Referred to Gaming, Racing and Wagering/A.10446 Referred to Ways and Means
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately. {1} http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/274919/check-your-cusions 24m-lotto-ticket-still-unclaimed/
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.