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CHAPTER 810, ACTS OF 1969
<br />AN ACT AUTHORIZING CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS TO CONDUCT RAFFLES AND BAZAARS
<br />Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is, in part, to authorize forth-
<br />with that certain organizations may conduct raffles and bazaars and provide a further source of tax revenue to the common-
<br />wealth, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
<br />convenience.
<br />Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the
<br />same, as follow.
<br />Chapter 271 of the General Laws is amended by inserting after section 7 the following Section: -
<br />Section 7A. In this section the following words shall have the following meanings:
<br />"Baffle", an arrangement for raising money by the sale of tickets, certain among which, as determined by chance
<br />after the sale, entitle the holders to prizes,
<br />"Bazaar", a place maintained by the sponsoring organization for disposal of merchandise awards by means of chance.,
<br />Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, raffles and bazaars may be promoted, operated and conducted under per-
<br />mits 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 />be deemed to have set up and promoted a lottery and nothing in this chapter shall authorize the prosecution, arrest or con -
<br />Action of any person connected with the operation of any such raffle or bazaar; provided, however, that nothing contained in
<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 />sponsored and conducted exclusively by (a) a veterans' organization chartered by the Congress of the United States or in-
<br />cluded in clause (12) of section five of chapter forty of the General Laws; (b) a church or religious organization; (cj a fra-
<br />ternal or fraternal benefit society; (d) an educational or cbaritabte 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 />no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any member or shareholder. Such organization shalt have been
<br />organized and actively functioning as a nonprofit organization in the commonwealth for a period of not less than two years be-
<br />fore it may apply for a permit. The promotion and operation of the raffle or bazaar shall be confined solely to the qualified
<br />members of the sponsoring organization and no such member shall receive remuneration in any form for time or effort de-
<br />voted to the promotion or operation of such raffle or bazaar. All funds derived from any raffle or bazaar shall be used
<br />exclusively for the purposes elated in the application of the sponsoring organization which purposes shall be limited to
<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 town in which the raffle will be drawn or the
<br />bazaar held. The application form shall be approved by the commissioner of public safety and shall include the name and
<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 shalt 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. If
<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 shalt 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 shall forthwith notify the authority granting such permit of such change, and such 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 />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 />filing within ten days of such refusal or revocation or within ten days of the expiration of such thirty day period a petition
<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 />y number of raffle. and bazaars held, the amount of money received, the expenses connected with the raffle or bazaar, the
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<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 />necessary to substantiate the particulars of such report, which books and records shall be preserved for at least one year
<br />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 filed 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 shalt 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 shalt 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 shalt file a return with the commission-
<br />er of corporations and taxation, on a form prepared by him, and approved by the slate tax commission within len days after
<br />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 />bazaar.
<br />The provisions of chapter sixty-two relative to the assessment, collection, payment, abatement, verification and ad-
<br />ministration of taxes, including penalties, shalt, so far 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, fees, penalties, forfeitures,
<br />costa of suits or fine., less all amounts refunded thereon, together with any interest or costs paid on account of such refunds,
<br />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 shalt be subject to any penalty therefor, provided that a
<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)
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