Senate File 419 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO SF 219) Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act concerning social gambling by religious institutions. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1808SV 82 4 ec/es/88 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 99B.12B RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS 1 2 == LICENSING EXCEPTIONS. 1 3 1. A religious institution that is an organization that is 1 4 exempt from federal income taxes under section 501(c)(3) of 1 5 the Internal Revenue Code as defined in section 422.3 is 1 6 authorized to conduct a bingo occasion, annual carnival game, 1 7 or a raffle without a license as otherwise required by this 1 8 chapter if all of the following requirements are met: 1 9 a. Participants are not charged to enter the premises 1 10 where the bingo occasion or raffle is conducted. 1 11 b. Participants in the bingo occasion or annual carnival 1 12 game are not charged to play once the participant has entered 1 13 the premises where the event is conducted. 1 14 c. Any prize awarded shall not exceed five hundred 1 15 dollars. 1 16 d. The total revenues raised by a religious institution 1 17 during any calendar year from games conducted pursuant to this 1 18 section shall not exceed one thousand dollars. 1 19 2. For purposes of this section, an "annual carnival game" 1 20 means games of skill and games of chance conducted during a 1 21 period of twelve consecutive hours once each year by the 1 22 religious institution. 1 23 EXPLANATION 1 24 This bill permits a religious institution to conduct a 1 25 bingo occasion, raffle, or annual carnival game without 1 26 obtaining a license if certain requirements are met. The 1 27 requirements established by the bill are that participants 1 28 shall not be charged admission to a bingo occasion, or a 1 29 raffle, that participants in bingo or an annual carnival game 1 30 shall not be charged to play, that any prize awarded shall not 1 31 exceed $500, and that total revenues raised by a religious 1 32 institution in a year shall not exceed $1,000. The bill 1 33 defines an annual carnival game as games of skill and games of 1 34 chance conducted during a period of 12 consecutive hours once 1 35 each year by the religious institution. 2 1 LSB 1808SV 82 2 2 ec:nh/es/88