Sen. Tommy Norment

Commending William H. Goodwin, Jr.

Commending Andrew James, Jr.

Virginia Lottery Board; Casino Gaming Establishment Location Commission; penalties. Authorizes casino gaming in the Commonwealth to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board. The bill specifies the licensing requirements for casino gaming and imposes criminal and civil penalties for violations of the casino gaming law. The bill establishes qualified locations for casino gaming operations, imposes a tax of 27 percent on the adjusted gross receipts of licensees, and provides for how the tax proceeds are disbursed. The bill also requires the Board to establish and implement a voluntary exclusion program and establishes the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, administered by the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, to provide counseling and other support services for compulsive and problem gamblers, develop problem gambling treatment and prevention programs, and provide grants to support organizations that provide assistance to compulsive gamblers. In addition, the bill (i) creates the Casino Gaming Establishment Location Commission to evaluate and select proposals for the operation and development of casino gaming establishments, (ii) details qualifications for Commission members, and (iii) provides the criteria to be considered to evaluate and award proposals. This bill was incorporated into SB 36.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable Mary T.Christian.

Commending Sherrin Cherrell Alsop.

Public schools; firearm safety education program.Requires local school boards to provide firearm safety educationprograms for students in all grades. The bill requires (i) the Boardof Education to establish curriculum guidelines for the program,in consultation with the Department of Criminal Justice Services;(ii) school boards to offer a minimum of two hours of instructionconsistent with such guidelines; and (iii) that the program be taughtby a school resource officer, other law-enforcement officer, or aUnited States Armed Forces instructor. The bill prohibits the useof firearms in the program. Current law allows local school boardsto provide a firearm safety education program for students in theelementary grades and does not specify who may instruct such program.

Virginia Lottery Board; regulation of the manufacturing, distributing, owning, hosting, and playing of electronic gaming devices; penalties. Authorizes the manufacture, distribution, owning, hosting, and playing of electronic gaming devices in the Commonwealth, to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board. The bill specifies the licensing requirements for the manufacture, distribution, owning, and hosting of electronic gaming devices and imposes criminal and civil penalties for violations of the law and regulations related to electronic gaming devices. The bill directs the Board to establish a maximum combined number of electronic gaming devices that may be hosted at host locations throughout the Commonwealth. The bill prohibits any host location from being located within a one-mile radius of any lottery sales agent and prohibits any host location licensee from offering more than nine electronic gaming devices to the public for play at such host location's establishment. The bill imposes a 12 percent tax on all gross profits from the play of electronic gaming devices and provides for how the tax proceeds are disbursed. The bill also establishes the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, administered by the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, to provide counseling and other support services for compulsive and problem gamblers, develop problem gambling treatment and prevention programs, and provide grants to support organizations that provide assistance to compulsive gamblers. This bill was incorporated into SB 971.

Illegal gambling; skill games; exception. Includes the playing or offering for play of any skill game in the definition of "illegal gambling." The bill also includes skill games within the definition of "gambling devices." The bill defines a "skill game" as an electronic, computerized, or mechanical contrivance, terminal, machine, or other device that requires the insertion of a coin, currency, ticket, token, or similar object to operate, activate, or play a game, the outcome of which is determined by any element of skill of the player and that may deliver or entitle the person playing or operating the device to receive cash; cash equivalents, gift cards, vouchers, billets, tickets, tokens, or electronic credits to be exchanged for cash; merchandise; or anything of value whether the payoff is made automatically from the device or manually. The bill exempts family entertainment centers from the prohibition against the playing or offering of any skill game, provided the prize won or distributed to a player by the skill games offered by such centers is a noncash, merchandise prize or a voucher, billet, ticket, token, or electronic credit redeemable only for a noncash, merchandise prize that also meets certain other requirements. This bill was incorporated into SB 971.

Commending the Washington Nationals.

Celebrating the life of Alan Arnold Diamonstein.