S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                 879--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             January 8, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. CYMBROWITZ, CLARK, ORTIZ -- Multi-Sponsored by --
  M.  of  A.    BARRETT,  BENEDETTO, COOK, CRESPO, ENGLEBRIGHT, FARRELL,
  GALEF, GOTTFRIED, JAFFEE, LUPARDO, MARKEY,  TITUS  --  read  once  and
  referred to the Committee on Racing and Wagering -- recommitted to the
  Committee  on  Racing and Wagering in accordance with Assembly Rule 3,
  sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill  amended,  ordered  reprinted  as
  amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT in relation to establishing the legislative task force on respon-
  sible gaming

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Legislative findings. a. The legislature hereby finds  that
the  2012-2013  New  York state budget amended the state constitution to
allow for non-tribal  casino  gaming  in  New  York.  It  also  included
provisions  to create a New York state gaming commission, as a result of
the merger between the division of lottery and the racing  and  wagering
board.  The  commission  is  charged  with  oversight of the division of
lottery, the division of charitable gaming, the division of gaming,  and
the  division of horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering. This legislative
action consolidated the state's  gaming  regulatory  functions  under  a
single oversight body.
  b.  The legislature further finds that the development of policies and
procedures that foster responsible gaming practices by gaming facilities
licensed  or enfranchised by the New York state gaming commission or its
divisions is necessary to mitigate the risks or consequences  associated
with  problem  gambling. The legislature concludes that this can be best
accomplished by the creation of a task force on responsible gaming.
  S 2. Legislative task force on responsible gaming.  A legislative task
force on responsible gaming is hereby established to:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD05251-02-6

A. 879--A                           2
              

  (a) Identify policies and programs that mitigate the risks and  conse-
quences  associated  with  compulsive  gambling  and promote responsible
gaming practices for all gaming activities authorized in New York state.
  (b) Recommend policies and procedures to be promulgated in regulations
by  the  New  York  state  gaming commission and its divisions to ensure
responsible gaming in all facilities licensed or  enfranchised  by  such
commission or divisions.
  (c)  Recommend a structure by which all responsible gaming regulations
promulgated by the  commission  or  its  divisions  shall  be  enforced,
including  but  not  limited  to  penalties for violations of regulatory
standards and corrective action.
  (d) Identifying methods to measure effectiveness  of  any  responsible
gaming procedures implemented.
  (e)  Identify and recommend provisions necessary to ensure responsible
gaming practices to be  included  in  enabling  legislation  authorizing
casino style gaming facilities in New York state.
  S  3.  Composition.  The  task  force shall consist of eleven members.
Task force members appointed or designated  shall  have  experience  and
expertise in one or more of the following areas:
  1) the prevention of problem gambling;
  2) the treatment of problem gambling;
  3) administration of problem gambling programs within a gaming facili-
ty.
  The  task  force  shall  consist  of eleven members to be appointed as
follows: two members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly, one
member to be appointed by the  minority  leader  of  the  assembly,  two
members  to  be  appointed by the temporary president of the senate, and
one member to be appointed by the minority leader  of  the  senate.  The
task force shall also include the commissioner of the office of alcohol-
ism  and  substance abuse services or his or her designee, the executive
director of the New York state gaming commission or his or her designee,
the director of the division of lottery or  his  or  her  designee,  the
director  of the division of gaming or his or her designee, the director
of the division of horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering or his  or  her
designee. The chair shall be designated by a simple majority vote of all
members of the task force.
  S  4.  Compensation.  Members  shall receive no compensation for their
services but shall be reimbursed for their expenses actually and  neces-
sarily incurred in the performance of any of their duties.
  S  5. Report. The task force shall create a final report regarding all
findings and recommendations to be  delivered  upon  completion  of  all
objectives  described  herein,  but  in  no event later than February 1,
2017, to the governor, the speaker of the  assembly  and  the  temporary
president of the senate. At the completion of all duties described here-
in the legislative task force shall be dissolved.
  S 6. This act shall take effect immediately.