H. B. 4362
(By Delegate Louisos)
[Introduced February 2, 2006; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary then Finance.]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §29-22A-10d, relating
to imposition of an annual fee of ten thousand dollars on each
video lottery machine at a dog or horse racetrack; providing
that the annual fee is to be deposited into a special account
in the treasury for prescription drugs for aged and disabled
residents; allowing the Secretary of the Department of Health
and Human Resources to propose legislative rules; and
requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to
undertake certain studies.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new section, designated §29-22A-10d, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 22A. RACETRACK VIDEO LOTTERY.
§29-22A-10d. Annual fee; prescription benefit.
(a) For all fiscal years beginning on or after the first day
of July, two thousand six, there is imposed an annual fee of ten
thousand dollars for each video lottery terminal located at a
licensed racetrack for that fiscal year.
(b) A prescription drug benefit fund is hereby created within
the State Treasury. The Lottery Commission shall collect the
annual fee charged under the provisions of subsection (a) of this
section and deposit the proceeds into the prescription drug benefit
fund. Moneys from the fund shall be appropriated by the
Legislature to the Department of Health and Human Resources
annually for payment of the cost of prescription drugs for aged and
disabled residents of this state who cannot afford the cost of the
drugs. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Resources may propose rules for legislative approval in accordance
with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this
code as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this
section.
(c) The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Resources shall conduct a study each year to determine whether the
drug benefit program may be expanded to include other residents of
this state.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require an annual fee of
$10,000 be paid on each video lottery terminal at a licensed racetrack in this state. The bill also provides that the fees
collected shall be placed in a special account for appropriation by
the Legislature for a drug benefit program for aged and disabled
residents of this state.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.