House Bill No. 2918 proposes the complete abolishment of the state lottery in Texas, amending various sections of the Government Code to repeal Chapter 466, which governs the lottery. The bill removes references to the lottery in the eligibility criteria for commission members and employees, establishing that the Texas Lottery Commission will only oversee bingo operations moving forward, as indicated by the insertion of "BINGO DIVISION." The transition plan outlined in the bill mandates that the lottery division's responsibilities will be transferred to the Texas Lottery Commission by January 1, 2026, while ensuring that ongoing obligations related to lottery prize payments and penalties will continue until fully resolved. Additionally, any funds allocated to lottery operations as of January 1, 2026, will be redirected to the state treasury for educational purposes.

The bill also introduces amendments to existing laws concerning financial assistance programs, requiring the vital statistics unit to match death records with individuals receiving assistance to terminate eligibility for deceased individuals. It includes provisions for reviewing out-of-state electronic benefit transfer card transactions to identify potential changes in a recipient's residence. Furthermore, the bill updates terminology related to the banking commissioner, removes references to the lottery division from certain definitions, and amends the Penal Code to clarify defenses against prosecution for specific conduct. Several sections of various codes are repealed, and the changes will apply to offenses committed on or after the effective date of the Act, set for September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 467.002, Government Code 467.024, Government Code 467.025, Government Code 467.031, Government Code 467.035, Government Code 467.101, Government Code 467.108, Government Code 467.111, Government Code 221.011, Government Code 434.017, Government Code 572.003, Government Code 2113.102, Penal Code 47.02, Penal Code 47.09 (Government Code 221, Government Code 572, Government Code 2113, Penal Code 47, Government Code 434, Government Code 467)