SENATE BILL 759—AN ACT AUTHORIZING BONDS OF THE STATE FOR REGIONAL FIRE SCHOOLS

This bill authorizes the State Bond Commission to issue up to $40 million in bonds to fund the projects in the Connecticut Firefighters Education Committee Facilities study (capital improvements to Connecticut's regional fire schools).

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2009

HOUSE BILL 6288—AN ACT CONCERNING THE COLLECTION OF DELINQUENT TAXES AND LOTTERY WINNERS

This bill requires the Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC) to deduct and withhold delinquent taxes from any lottery claim of $5,000 or more a delinquent taxpayer submits at its central office on or after January 1, 2010. The bill applies to taxes, including penalties and interest, more than 30 days overdue and not the subject of a timely filed administrative appeal to the Division of Revenue Services (DRS) commissioner or a timely filed appeal pending before a court.

Before paying prizes of $5,000 or more, CLC must check the claimant's name and other identifying information against a DRS list of delinquent taxpayers. If the claimant is delinquent, CLC must withhold from the winnings and forward to the commissioner the amount of taxes owed, plus penalties and interest, after deducting and withholding any amount owed for child support. CLC must forward the amount withheld to the commissioner.

CLC employees are barred from disclosing any tax information they receive, except as the law requires. A violation carries a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2009

RAISED BILL 6323—AN ACT PERMITTING “FIFTY-FIFTY” COUPON GAMES AT CERTAIN ORGANIZATION FUNCTIONS AND ATHLETIC EVENTS

This bill allows qualified nonprofit organizations to get a special Division of Special Revenue annual permit to conduct “fifty-fifty” coupon games at organization functions and athletic events. The permit cost $50. The state keeps $25 and the town gets $25.

Under existing law, which this bill does not change, qualified organizations may conduct “fifty-fifty” coupon games under a bazaar permit. But the permit is valid for only 10 days, and an organization can get only two per year. The permit costs $20 for each day of the bazaar, $10 of which is retained by the state and $10 remitted to the municipality.

Organizations conducting “fifty-fifty” games may award cash prizes of 50% of game sales.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage

SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 6359—AN ACT AUTHORIZING BONDS OF THE STATE AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE PREVENTION OF VIOLENT CRIME

This bill authorizes the State Bond Commission to issue up to $2 million in bonds, which the Office of Policy and Management must use to provide grants-in-aid to municipalities for new police equipment, including cameras, weapons, computers, lighting improvements, and motion detectors.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2009

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