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CHAPTER 610, ACTS OF 1969 <br /> NDUCT RAFFLES D <br /> AN ACT AUTHORIZING CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS TO COANBAZAo authorize forth- <br /> d tend to defeat its purpose, which is, <br /> in Whereas, The deferred operation of this act woulpart,a of tax revenue to the <br /> wealth, therefore it nd provide a further sourc <br /> lic <br /> ♦hereby declared <br /> aovberanleme gencyaaw,es and bazars ;necessary for the immediate preservat on of the pubmmon - <br /> convenience. <br /> House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and b the authorityof the <br /> Be it enacted b the Senate and <br /> same, <br /> 71 of the General Laws is amended by inserting after section 7 the following section:- <br /> Chapter 271 <br /> In this section the following words shall have the following meanings: <br /> Section 7 7 <br /> ich, as determined by chance <br /> "Raffle", an arrangement for raising money by the sale of tickets, certain among wh <br /> after the sale, entitle the holders to prizes. <br /> "Bazaar", a place maintained by the sponsoring organization for disposal oomoted,merchandise <br /> erat dand awards coy means of nducted under per- <br /> Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, raffles and bazaars may be p P <br /> mite issued in accordance with the provisions of this section. <br /> No organization, society, church or club which conducts a raffle or bazaar under the provisions of this section shall <br /> trtalottery <br /> nothing in <br /> this chapter shall authorizehowever,prosecution, <br /> be deemed to have <br /> of any such raffle bazaarprovided, howeve , thatnoth ng contained in <br /> viction of any person connected <br /> this section shall be construed as permitting the game commonly known as "beano" or any similar game regardless of name. <br /> No raffle or bazaar shall be promoted, operated or conducted by any person or organization, unless the same is <br /> by(a) a veterans' organization chartered by the Congress of the United States or <br /> sponsored and conducted exclusively Laws; in- <br /> cluded in clause conducted <br /> t section five of chapter.forty of the General Ls; (b) a church or religious organization; (c)a fra- <br /> ternal or fraternal benefit society; (d) an educational or charitable organization; (e)a civic or service club or organization; <br /> and(f) clubs or organizations organized and operated exclusively for pleasure, recreation and other nonprofit purposes, <br /> member or shareholder. Such organization shall have been <br /> no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any mem <br /> organized and actively <br /> functioning <br /> a anonn andgoperationof the raffle or bazaar shalprot oranization in the commonwealth for a e erbetocoof not less th <br /> nfined solely to the qualifi d <br /> fore it may apply oP Promotio <br /> ' members of the sponsoring organization and no such member shall receive remuneration in any form for time or efforte- <br /> ion or operation of such raffle or bazaar. All funds derived from any raffle or bazaar shall be used <br /> voted to the promot <br /> exclusively for the purposes stated in the application of the sponsoring organization which purposes shad be Limited <br /> educational, charitable, religious, fraternal or civic purposes or for veterans' benefits. An organization which meets the <br /> qualifications required by this section and which desires to conduct or operate a raffle or bazaar within the commonwealth <br /> shall apply for a permit to conduct raffles and bazaars from the clerk of the city or in which the raffle will be drawn or the <br /> tow <br /> and shall include the name and <br /> bazaar held. The application form shall be approved by the commissioner of public safety <br /> address of the applicant, the evidence on which the applicant relies in order to qualify under this section, the names of three <br /> officers or members of the organization who shall be responsible for the operation of the raffle or bazaar, and the uses to <br /> which the net proceeds will be applied. A fee of ten dollars shall accompany each such application and shall be retained by <br /> the city or town. Upon receipt of such application, the clerk shall determine whether it is in conformity with this section. It <br /> the clerk so determines, he shall forward the application to the chief of police of the city or town, who shall determine <br /> whether the applicant is qualified to operate raffles and bazaars under this section. If the chief of police so determines, he <br /> shall endorse the application and return it to the clerk, who shall forthwith issue a permit, which shall be valid for one year <br /> from the date of its issuance. The clerk shall retain a copy of the application and shall send a copy to the commissioner of <br /> public safety. If there is any change in the facts set forth in the application for a permit subsequent to the making of such <br /> application, the applicant shalt forthwith notify the authority granting such permit of such change, and suet.authority shall <br /> issue such permit if the applicant is qualified, or, if a permit has already been issued and the change in the facts set forth <br /> p <br /> in the application disqualify the applicant revoke such permit. <br /> If an application is not acted upon within thirty days after it is submitted, or if the organization is refused a permit, <br /> or if a permit is revoked, any person named on the application may obtain judicial review of such refusal or revocation by <br /> expiration of such thirty day period a petition <br /> filing within ten days of such refusal or revocation or within ten days of the e <br /> for review in the district court having jurisdiction in the city or town in which such application was filed. A justice of said <br /> court, after a hearing, may direct that such permit be issued, if he is satisfied that there was no reasonable ground for re- <br /> fusing such permit, and that the applicant was not prohibited by law from holding raffles or bazaars. <br /> An organization issued a permit under this section shall within thirty days of the expiration of its permit submit a <br /> report on a form to be approved by the commissioner of public safety. Such form shall require information concerning the <br /> number of raffles and bazaars held, the amount of money received, the expenses connected with the raffle or bazaar, the <br /> names of the winners of prizes exceeding twenty-five dollars in value, the net proceeds of the raffles and bazaars, and the <br /> uses to which the net proceeds were applied. The organization shall maintain and keep such books and records as may be <br /> 1 necessary to substantiate the particulars of such report, which books and records shall be preserved for at least one year <br /> j from the date of such report and shall be available for inspection. Such report shall be certified to by the three persons <br /> designated in the permit application as being responsible for such raffle or bazaar and by an accountant. Two copies of said <br /> report shall be tiled with city or town clerk. The clerk shall send one copy to the commissioner of public safety. Failure to <br /> file said report shall constitute sufficient grounds for refusal to renew a permit to conduct raffles or bazaars, The fee for <br /> renewal of such permit shall be ten dollars. <br /> The authority granting any permit under this section shall immediately revoke the same for a violation of any pro- <br /> vision of this section and shall not issue any permit to such permittee within three years from the date of such violation. Any <br /> person aggrieved by the action of such authority revoking such permit may appeal to the district court having jurisdiction in <br /> the city or town where the permit was issued; provided that such appeal shall be filed in such court within twenty days <br /> following receipt of notification by said authority. The court shall hear all pertinent evidence and determine the facts and <br /> upon the facts so determined annul such action or make such decision as equity may require. The foregoing remedy shall be <br /> exclusive. <br /> Any organization conducting or operating a raffle or bazaar under this section shall file a return with the commission- <br /> er of corporations and taxation, on a form prepared by him, and approved by the state tax commission within ten days atter <br /> i the raffle or bazaar is'held and shall pay therewith a tax of five per cent of the gross proceeds derived from such raffle or <br /> I bazaar. <br /> i , <br /> The provisions of chapter sixty-two relative to the assessment, collection, payment, abatement, verification and ad- <br /> ministration of taxes, including penalties, shall, so tar as applicable apply to the tax imposed by this section. All sums <br /> { received by said commissioner from the tax imposed by this section as taxes, interest thereon, tees, penalties, forfeitures, <br /> costa of suite or fines, less all amounts refunded thereon, together with any interest or coats paid on account of such refunds, <br /> I shall be paid into the treasury of the commonwealth. <br /> Whoever violates any provision of this section or submits false information on an application or report required un- <br /> der this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment in the house of <br /> correction for not more than one year, or both. <br /> No person who prints or produces tickets, cards or any similar article used in the conduct of a bazaar or raffle <br /> pursuant to a permit issued under the provisions of this section shall be subject to any penalty therefor, provided that a <br /> i <br /> certified copy of such permit was presented to him prior to his undertaking to print or produce such tickets or cards. <br /> (effective Aug. 26, 1969) <br />