This bill establishes a new charitable gaming oversight commission, which will consist of seven voting members and nine non-voting members. The voting members include representatives from the Senate and House ways and means committees, as well as additional members appointed by the Senate president and House speaker. The non-voting members will include citizens with no financial interest in charitable gaming, representatives of gaming operators and charities, and officials from the lottery commission and attorney general's office. The commission is tasked with reviewing charitable gaming laws, including historical horse race gaming, and making recommendations for legislative changes, particularly focusing on issues such as problem gambling and the allocation of funds.
Additionally, the bill extends the commission's existence by ten years, changing the effective date for a related section from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2035. It also appropriates $100,000 to the lottery commission to support the commission's work for the biennium ending June 30, 2027. The commission is required to submit annual reports to the general court, starting on November 1, 2026, and is administratively attached to the lottery commission. The first meeting of the commission is to be held within 60 days of the effective date, with a quorum established by four voting members.