Spring 1997

As in previous years, there is a good amount of legislative activity around gambling this session. The following is a brief summary of some of the bills introduced this session as of April 8, which directly relate to the Department of Human Services gambling program:

SF971/HF1274 raises the legal gambling age to 21 for pari-mutuel racing, lawful gambling and the lottery.

SF1615/HF2123 requires continuation of Southeast Minnesota pilot individual client fee-for-service project; expansion into Northwest Minnesota; designates amounts for each component of the gambling program; requires establishment of gambling specific practice standards; establishes proportionate sharing of program costs between lawful gambling, the lottery and tribal gambling; and moves administration of the program from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Health.

SF678 requires the creation of gambling specific standards for treatment and provider qualifications, requires a transition from the current grant-based treatment system to a fee-for-service system by July 1, 1999.

SF807/HF967 allows a card club (poker) at Canterbury Park.

SF715/HF813 appropriates funds to a compulsive gambling council located in St. Louis County for a prevention and education project for adolescents.

SF/HF Health and Human Services Omnibus bills reflecting the Gover-nors recommendation for program funding for each year of the biennium.

For information concerning the status of these bills call Senate Information at 1(612)296-2887, or the House Index at 1(612)296-6646.

A description of action taken on these bills will be included in the next issue.

-Jay Bambery
Department of Human Services