H 4580  Joint Resolution, By White
 A JOINT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 7, ARTICLE XVII OF THE
 CONSTITUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1895, RELATING TO LOTTERIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE
 THAT PROCEEDS IN THE EDUCATION LOTTERY ACCOUNT MAY BE USED ONLY FOR HIGHER
 EDUCATION TUITION ASSISTANCE AND SCHOLARSHIPS.
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   05/08/19  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 150)
   05/08/19  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
                     (House Journal-page 150)

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 7, ARTICLE XVII OF THE CONSTITUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1895, RELATING TO LOTTERIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT PROCEEDS IN THE EDUCATION LOTTERY ACCOUNT MAY BE USED ONLY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION TUITION ASSISTANCE AND SCHOLARSHIPS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    It is proposed that Section 7, Article XVII of the Constitution of this State be amended to read:

"Section 7.    Only the State may conduct lotteries, and these lotteries must be conducted in the manner that the General Assembly provides by law. The revenue derived from the lotteries must be used first to pay all operating expenses and prizes for the lotteries. The remaining lottery revenues must be credited to a separate fund in the state treasury styled the "Education Lottery Account", and the earnings on this account must be credited to it. Education Lottery Account proceeds may be used only for educational purposes as the General Assembly provides by law higher education tuition assistance and scholarships.

The game of bingo, when conducted by charitable, religious, or fraternal organizations exempt from federal income taxation or when conducted at recognized annual state and county fairs, is not considered a lottery prohibited by this section.

A raffle, if provided for by general law and conducted by a nonprofit organization for charitable, religious, fraternal, educational, or other eleemosynary purposes, is not a lottery prohibited by this section. The general law must define the type of nonprofit organization authorized to operate and conduct a raffle, provide standards for the operation and conduct of raffles, provide for the use of proceeds for religious, charitable, fraternal, educational, or other eleemosynary purposes, provide penalties for violations, and provide for other laws necessary to ensure the proper functioning, honesty, and integrity of the raffles. If a general law on the conduct and operation of a nonprofit raffle for charitable purposes, including the type of organization allowed to conduct raffles, is not enacted, then the raffle is a lottery prohibited by this section."

SECTION    2.    The proposed amendment must be submitted to the qualified electors at the next general election for representatives. Ballots must be provided at the various voting precincts with the following words printed or written on the ballot:

"Must Section 7, Article XVII of the Constitution of this State be amended so as to provide that proceeds in the Education Lottery Account may be used only for higher education tuition assistance and scholarships?

Those voting in favor of the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word 'Yes', and those voting against the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word 'No'."