Section 97-33-107 - Functions, duties, and responsibilities of CommissionIn connection with its regulation of charitable bingo games, the commission shall have the following functions, duties and responsibilities:
(a) To issue and renew annual state licenses required by law for organizations conducting bingo games and for manufacturers, distributors or operators of supplies or equipment for such games;(b) To assess and collect fees not to exceed two and one-half percent (2-1/2%) of the net proceeds of pull-tabs, electronic bingo machines and electronic pull-tab machines, which fees shall be limited to the amounts necessary to administer the Charitable Bingo Law;(c) To assess and collect fees equal to one percent (1%) of the gross proceeds of each bingo session conducted by a Class "A" charitable organization and equal to one-half (1/2) of one percent (1%) of the gross proceeds of each bingo session conducted by a Class "B" or a Class "C" charitable organization; provided, however, that the fees assessed and collected under this subsection (c) shall not apply to pull-tabs, electronic bingo machines or electronic pull-tab machines as described in subsection (b) above; and provided, that the fees shall not be collected in any bingo session held by a religious organization which has been in existence for ten (10) years or longer, held on the premises owned by the religious organization, and held without any person being compensated for operating the game, and until the gross proceeds of bingo games conducted by such organization exceed Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) during the calendar year;(d) To deny applications for licensure or license renewal and to issue orders for suspension or revocation of licenses issued pursuant to Sections 97-33-51 through 97-33-203;(e) To monitor licensees to ensure compliance with all provisions of law and regulations relative to charitable bingo games through routine scheduled and unscheduled inspections, investigations and audits;(f) To enforce all provisions of law and regulations relative to charitable bingo games and to assist local law enforcement agencies in these enforcement responsibilities and bingo enforcement agents shall have the powers of a peace officer;(g) To establish and assess penalties for violations of regulations relative to charitable bingo games;(h) To familiarize the members of organizations which conduct charitable bingo games of chance, with provisions of the Charitable Bingo Law and other applicable laws and regulations;(i) To adopt rules and regulations to provide for the sale or transfer of surplus supplies or equipment from one licensed organization to another and such other rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out the purposes and functions of Sections 97-33-51 through 97-33-203, including the adoption of rules and regulations pursuant to Section 97-33-69(10) which may provide for differing requirements, with regard to the number of participants, sessions, amount of prizes offered, proceeds received or other factors which affect the regulatory and administrative burdens on organizations operating charitable bingo games, for a certain class of organizations, provided that such rules and regulations shall be no more restrictive than the provisions of law that govern such factors;(j) To prescribe rules and regulations creating a class of organizations that are exempt from the purchase of reprinted tickets as provided for in paragraph (c) of this section based on the number of participants or the amount of prizes offered or other factors which affect the regulatory and administrative burdens on the organizations imposed by the commission; and(k) To establish the classes described in this paragraph of charitable organizations that are licensed to conduct bingo games and to prescribe rules and regulations to provide for differing reporting requirements imposed upon each different class; provided that such rules and regulations shall be no more restrictive than the provisions of law that relate to reporting requirements. Such classes of organizations are as follows: (i) Class "A" shall be composed of licensed charitable organizations which conduct bingo games in which the prizes awarded total an aggregate amount in excess of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) per session;(ii) Class "B" shall be composed of licensed charitable organizations which conduct bingo games in which the prizes awarded total an aggregate amount of not less than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) and not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00);(iii) Class "C" shall be composed of licensed charitable organizations which conduct bingo games in which the prizes awarded total an aggregate amount of less than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00).Laws, 1992, ch. 581, § 21; Laws, 1994, ch. 635, § 17; Laws, 1995, ch. 511, § 1; Laws, 1999, ch. 490, § 1, eff. 7/1/1999.