The bill, S.B. No. 738, proposes amendments to Section 466.408 of the Government Code regarding the allocation of unclaimed lottery prize money. It establishes a new priority for the use of these funds, specifically designating that up to $5 million in each state fiscal year will be allocated to fund the child-care services program administered by the Texas Workforce Commission. This addition is made alongside existing allocations for indigent health care services and inpatient hospital services in border counties. The bill also clarifies that any remaining unclaimed prize money not allocated to the aforementioned purposes will be deposited into the foundation school fund.

Additionally, the bill modifies the language concerning the distribution of unclaimed prize money by removing the previous provision that allowed for the remaining amount to be deposited without specific limits. Instead, it sets a clear cap of $5 million for the child-care services program and maintains the same limit for veterans' assistance. The changes will only apply to unclaimed prizes for lottery games where the winner was selected on or after the effective date of the Act, which is set for September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 466.408 (Government Code 466)