H.B. No. 4172 aims to regulate charitable bingo in Texas and introduces provisions for the establishment of a nonprofit corporation to promote and advertise charitable bingo. The bill amends Section 2001.407 of the Occupations Code, allowing licensed distributors to receive bingo equipment from licensed authorized organizations under specific conditions, such as if the equipment is defective or not ordered. It also mandates that both distributors and organizations maintain records of returned equipment. Additionally, the bill amends Section 2001.415 to restrict advertising of bingo to licensed entities and introduces a new section, 2001.4151, which allows a statewide organization to form a nonprofit corporation to assist in promoting charitable bingo.

Further amendments include increasing the maximum operating capital that licensed organizations can retain in their bingo accounts from $50,000 to $100,000, and allowing organizations to remit a reduced prize fee to counties or municipalities under certain conditions. The bill also introduces a provision that allows licensed organizations to reduce the amount remitted to local governments by up to 15% if they meet specific criteria. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025, with certain provisions taking effect earlier on October 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Occupations Code 2001.407, Occupations Code 2001.415, Occupations Code 2001.451, Occupations Code 2001.502 (Occupations Code 2001)
House Committee Report: Occupations Code 2001.407, Occupations Code 2001.415, Occupations Code 2001.451, Occupations Code 2001.502 (Occupations Code 2001)
Engrossed: Occupations Code 2001.407, Occupations Code 2001.415, Occupations Code 2001.451, Occupations Code 2001.502 (Occupations Code 2001)