SENATE, No. 1299

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED JUNE 13, 1996

By Senator SINGER

An Act concerning the use of unclaimed State Lottery prize money and amending P.L.1970, c.13.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. Section 17 of P.L.1970, c.13 (C.5:9-17) is amended to read as follows:

    17. a. Unclaimed prize money for the prize on a winning ticket or share shall be retained by the director for the person entitled thereto for 1 year after the drawing in which the prize was won. If no claim is made for said money within such year, the prize money shall be allocated to State institutions and State aid for education in the same manner as lottery revenues are allocated for such purposes under this act, except that the first $600,000 of unclaimed prize money which becomes available during the remainder of the fiscal year in which this amendatory act, P.L. , c. , takes effect and in each fiscal year thereafter shall be deposited by the State Lottery Commission in the Compulsive Gamblers' Program Fund established pursuant to subsection b. of this section.

    b. There is established in the Department of the Treasury a separate fund, known as the Compulsive Gamblers' Program Fund, to be deposited in such depositories as the State Treasurer may select. The fund shall consist of such unclaimed State lottery prize money as shall be deposited in the fund pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

    c. The moneys in the Compulsive Gamblers' Program Fund are appropriated to the Department of Health to be used as follows:

    (1) Whenever in any fiscal year less than $500,000 is available to the department from other sources to provide funds to the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, the department shall provide the council with such amount from the fund as is necessary to ensure that the council receives $500,000; and

    (2) Whenever in any fiscal year less than $100,000 is available to the department from other sources to award grants to compulsive gambling treatment programs in this State, the department shall use such amount from the fund as is necessary to ensure that $100,000 in such grants is awarded.

    d. Amounts in the Compulsive Gamblers' Program Fund which remain unexpended at the end of each fiscal year shall be transferred to the State Lottery Fund established pursuant to section 21 of P.L.1970, c.13 (C.5:9-21) and appropriated for the purposes authorized by section 22 of P.L.1970, c. 13 (C.5:9-22).

(cf: P.L.1970, c.13, s.17)

    2. This act shall take effect upon approval by the voters of an amendment to the New Jersey Constitution which provides that unclaimed lottery prize money may be used to fund programs for compulsive gamblers.

STATEMENT

    The purpose of this bill is to provide a stable funding source for the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey and for grants to compulsive gambling treatment programs in this State. It provides that the first $600,000 of unclaimed State Lottery prize money (prizes which remain unclaimed for at least one year) which becomes available in each fiscal year shall be deposited in a Compulsive Gamblers' Program Fund. Whenever in any fiscal year less than $500,000 is available to the Department of Health to provide funds to the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, the department would provide the council with such amount from the fund as is necessary to ensure that the council receives $500,000. In addition, whenever in any fiscal year less than $100,000 is available to the department from other sources to award grants to compulsive gambling treatment programs in this State, the department would use such amount from the fund as is necessary to ensure that $100,000 in such grants is awarded. Amounts in the fund remaining unexpended at the end of each fiscal year would be transferred to the State Lottery Fund and used like other lottery proceeds for the purposes authorized by law. The bill would take effect upon approval by the voters of a constitutional amendment allowing unclaimed lottery prize money to be used to fund programs for compulsive gamblers.

Provides that up to $600,000 in unclaimed State Lottery prize money may be used each fiscal year to fund programs for compulsive gamblers.