130th Ohio General Assembly
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As Introduced

123rd General Assembly
Regular Session
1999-2000
S. B. No. 333

SENATOR KEARNS


A BILL
To amend section 2915.08 of the Revised Code to require that an application for a bingo license be accompanied by a copy of Internal Revenue Service Form 990 and any other Internal Revenue Service income statement form that the Attorney General may require.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:


Section 1. That section 2915.08 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 2915.08. (A) Annually before the first day of January a charitable organization that desires to conduct bingo games shall make out and deliver to the attorney general, upon a form to be furnished by the attorney general for that purpose, an application for a license to conduct bingo and a license fee of one hundred dollars or a reduced license fee established by the attorney general pursuant to division (G) of this section. The application shall be in the form prescribed by the attorney general and shall be signed and sworn to by the applicant.

The application shall contain the following:

(1) The name and post-office address of the applicant;

(2) A statement that the applicant is a charitable organization and that it has been in continuous existence as a charitable organization in this state for two years immediately preceding the making of the application or for five years in the case of a fraternal organization or a nonprofit medical organization;

(3) The location at which the organization will conduct the bingo game, which location shall be within the county in which the principal place of business of the applicant is located, the days of the week and the times on each of those days when a bingo session will be conducted, whether the organization owns, leases, or subleases the premises, and a copy of the rental agreement if it leases or subleases the premises;

(4) A statement of the applicant's previous history, record, and association that is sufficient to establish that the applicant is a charitable organization and, a copy of a determination letter that is issued by the Internal Revenue Service and states that the organization is tax exempt under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(8), 501(c)(10), or 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code, AND A COPY OF INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE FORM 990, AND A COPY OF ANY OTHER INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE INCOME STATEMENT FORM THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY REQUIRE, THAT THE APPLICANT HAS MOST RECENTLY FILED WITH THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE;

(5) A statement as to whether the applicant has ever had any previous application refused, whether it previously has had a license revoked or suspended, and the reason stated by the attorney general for the refusal, revocation, or suspension;

(6) A statement of the charitable purpose for which the bingo proceeds will be used;

(7) Other necessary and reasonable information that the attorney general may require by rule adopted pursuant to section 111.15 of the Revised Code;

(8) In the case of an applicant seeking to qualify as a youth athletic park organization under division (CC) of section 2915.01 of the Revised Code, a statement issued by a board or body vested with authority under Chapter 755. of the Revised Code for the supervision and maintenance of recreation facilities in the territory in which the organization is located, certifying that the playing fields owned by the organization were used for at least one hundred days during the year in which the statement is issued, and were open for use to all residents of that territory, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sex, or national origin, for athletic activities by youth athletic organizations, as defined in division (BB) of section 2915.01 of the Revised Code, that do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, or national origin, and that the fields were not used for any profit-making activity at any time during the year. That type of board or body is authorized to issue the statement upon request and shall issue the statement if it finds that the applicant's playing fields were so used.

The attorney general, within thirty days after receiving a timely filed application from a charitable organization that has been issued a bingo license that has not expired and has not been revoked or suspended, shall send a temporary permit to the applicant specifying the date on which the application was filed with the attorney general and stating that, pursuant to section 119.06 of the Revised Code, the applicant may continue to conduct bingo games until a new license is granted or, if the application is rejected, until fifteen days after notice of the rejection is mailed to the applicant. The temporary permit does not affect the validity of the applicant's application and does not grant any rights to the applicant except those rights specifically granted in section 119.06 of the Revised Code. The issuance of a temporary permit by the attorney general pursuant to this paragraph does not prohibit the attorney general from rejecting the applicant's application because of acts that the applicant committed, or actions that he THE APPLICANT failed to take, before or after the issuance of the temporary permit.

(B)(1) The attorney general shall adopt rules to enforce sections 2915.01, 2915.02, and 2915.07 to 2915.12 of the Revised Code, to ensure that bingo games are conducted in accordance with those sections, and to maintain proper control over the conduct of bingo games. The rules, except rules adopted pursuant to division (A)(7) of this section, shall be adopted pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. The attorney general shall license charitable organizations to conduct bingo games in conformance with this chapter and with the licensing provisions of Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(2) The attorney general may refuse to grant a bingo license to any organization, or revoke or suspend the license of any organization, that does any of the following or to which any of the following applies:

(a) Fails or has failed at any time to meet any requirement of sections 2915.07 to 2915.11 of the Revised Code, or violates or has violated any provision of sections 2915.02 or 2915.07 to 2915.12 of the Revised Code or any rule adopted by the attorney general pursuant to this section;

(b) Makes or has made an incorrect or false statement that is material to the granting of the license in an application filed pursuant to division (A) of this section;

(c) Submits or has submitted any incorrect or false information relating to an application if the information is material to the granting of the license;

(d) Maintains or has maintained any incorrect or false information that is material to the granting of the license in the records required to be kept pursuant to division (A) of section 2915.10 of the Revised Code, if applicable;

(e) The attorney general has good cause to believe will not conduct its bingo games in accordance with sections 2915.02 and 2915.07 to 2915.12 of the Revised Code or with any rule adopted by the attorney general pursuant to this section.

(3) For the purposes of this division, any action of an officer, trustee, agent, representative, or bingo game operator of an organization is an action of the organization.

(C) The attorney general may grant bingo licenses to charitable organizations that are branches, lodges, or chapters of national charitable organizations.

(D) The attorney general shall send notice in writing to the prosecuting attorney and sheriff of the county in which the organization will conduct the bingo game, as stated in its application for a license or amended license, and to any other law enforcement agency in that county that so requests, of all of the following:

(1) The issuance of the license;

(2) The issuance of the amended license;

(3) The rejection of an application for and refusal to grant a license;

(4) The revocation of any license previously issued;

(5) The suspension of any license previously issued.

(E) A bingo license issued by the attorney general shall set forth the information contained on the application of the charitable organization that the attorney general determines is relevant, including, but not limited to, the location at which the organization will conduct the bingo game and the days of the week and the times on each of those days when a bingo session will be conducted. If the attorney general refuses to grant or revokes or suspends a bingo license, he THE ATTORNEY GENERAL shall notify the applicant in writing and specifically identify the reason for the refusal, revocation, or suspension in narrative form and, if applicable, by identifying the section of the Revised Code violated. The failure of the attorney general to give the written notice of the reasons for the refusal, revocation, or suspension or a mistake in the written notice does not affect the validity of the attorney general's refusal to grant, or the revocation or suspension of, a bingo license. If the attorney general fails to give the written notice or if there is a mistake in the written notice, the applicant may bring an action to compel the attorney general to comply with this division or to correct the mistake, but the attorney general's order refusing to grant, or revoking or suspending, a bingo license shall not be enjoined during the pendency of the action.

(F) A charitable organization that has been issued a bingo license pursuant to division (B) of this section but that cannot conduct bingo sessions at the location, or on the day of the week or the time, specified on the license due to circumstances beyond its control may apply, without charge, in writing to the attorney general for an amended bingo license. The application shall describe in detail the causes making it impossible for the organization to conduct its bingo sessions in conformity with its license and shall indicate the location, days of the week, and times on each of those days when it desires to conduct a bingo session. If the attorney general approves the application for the amended license, he THE ATTORNEY GENERAL shall issue the amended license in accordance with division (E) of this section, and the organization shall surrender its original license to the attorney general. The attorney general shall refuse to grant an application for an amended bingo license according to the terms of division (B) of this section.

(G) The attorney general, by rule adopted pursuant to section 111.15 of the Revised Code, shall establish a schedule of reduced license fees for charitable organizations that desire to conduct bingo games during fewer than twenty-six weeks in any calendar year.


Section 2. That existing section 2915.08 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.
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