A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 12-21-3920, RELATING TO BINGO TAX ACT DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO ADD THE DEFINITIONS OF "VETERANS' TRUST FUND" AND "VETERANS' ORGANIZATION"; BY AMENDING SECTION 12-21-4020, RELATING TO CLASSES OF BINGO LICENSES, SO AS TO ADD A CLASS G LICENSE FOR VETERANS' ORGANIZATIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 12-21-4030, RELATING TO ENTRANCE FEE SURCHARGES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A CLASS G LICENSE HOLDER MAY IMPOSE A CERTAIN ENTRANCE FEE; BY AMENDING SECTION 12-21-4070, RELATING TO DOMICILES REQUIRED FOR LICENSE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN INDIVIDUAL MUST BE DOMICILED IN THIS STATE FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD BEFORE APPLYING FOR A LICENSE; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 12-21-4190, RELATING TO BINGO CARD CHARGES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CHARGE AND RETAIN CERTAIN FEES.

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

 

SECTION 1.  Section 12-21-3920 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    (22) "Veterans' Trust Fund" means the fund established in Section 25-21-10.

    (23) "Veteran's organization" means any individual post or state headquarters of a national veteran's association or an auxiliary unit of any individual post of a national veteran's association, which post, state headquarters, or auxiliary unit is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation and either has received a letter from the state headquarters of the national veteran's association indicating that the individual post or auxiliary unit is in good standing with the national veteran's association or has received a letter from the national veteran's association indicating that the state headquarters is in good standing with the national veteran's association. As used in this item, "national veteran's association" means any veteran's association that has been in continuous existence as such for a period of at least five years and either is incorporated by an act of the United States Congress or has a national dues-paying membership of at least five thousand persons.

 

SECTION 2.  Section 12-21-4020 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    (7) CLASS G: A veteran's organization operating a bingo game offering prizes, which do not exceed eight thousand dollars a session, shall obtain a Class G bingo license at a cost of one thousand dollars. The holder of a Class G license may not conduct more than five bingo sessions a week. The bingo games must be conducted in the same manner as provided under the Class C license.

 

SECTION 3.  Section 12-21-4030(B) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    (B)(1) A holder of a Class AA license shall impose an entrance fee of eighteen dollars;

       (2) A holder of a Class B license shall impose an entrance fee of five dollars;

       (3) A holder of a Class D or Class E license may impose a five-dollar entrance fee; and

       (4) A holder of a Class F license may impose a three-dollar entrance fee.; and

       (5) A holder of a Class G license may impose an entrance fee of five dollars.

 

SECTION 4.  Section 12-21-4070 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    Section 12-21-4070.  No license, as provided by this article, may be issued to an organization, promoter, or individual that has not been domiciled in this State for at least three two years immediately preceding the license application. In the case of the organization, the organization must also have been active in this State for at least two years.

 

SECTION 5.  Section 12-21-4190 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    Section 12-21-4190.  (A) The department shall charge and retain ten cents for each dollar of face value for each bingo card sold for AA, B, D, and E licenses. The department shall charge and retain five cents for each dollar of face value for each bingo card sold for an F license. The department shall charge and retain four cents for each dollar of face value for each bingo card sold for a C license. The department shall charge and retain twenty-five cents for each dollar of face value for each bingo card sold for a G license.

    (B) The revenue retained must be distributed as follows:

       (1) twenty-eight percent of the revenue must be distributed to the sponsoring charity for which the bingo cards were purchased. The department shall make the distribution to the sponsoring charity by the last day of the next month following the month the revenue was collected. Distributions pursuant to this subsection must be reduced by any delinquent debts as defined in the Setoff Debt Collection Act;

       (2) seventy-two percent pursuant to Section 12-21-4200.

    (C) The provisions of subsection (B) do not apply to holders of Class F licenses. The entire amount of revenue remitted pursuant to Section 12-21-4190 by Class F licensees shall be distributed pursuant to Section 12-21-4200.

    (D) The provisions of subsection (B) do not apply to holders of Class G licenses. Of the amount charged and retained from Class G licenses, sixty percent must be distributed to the Veterans' Trust Fund. An amount of forty percent must be distributed equally to the South Carolina state headquarters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Daughters of the American Revolution, and AMVETS.

 

SECTION 6.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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