Provides an exemption for nonprofit healthcare organizations to hold and operate a license for conducting certain raffles. (8/1/26)

Senate Bill 181 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 4, Section 707 to create a licensing exemption for nonprofit healthcare organizations conducting charitable games of chance. The bill adds a new definition classifying nonprofit healthcare organizations as those that provide healthcare services, including their parent organizations, affiliates, subsidiaries and foundations, provided they are licensed or chartered in Louisiana and maintain tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code and Louisiana law. The substantive change permits these qualified nonprofit healthcare organizations to hold, operate, and conduct games of chance without obtaining a license from the office of charitable gaming, though they must annually notify that office of their charitable gaming activities. Additionally, nonprofit healthcare organizations are relieved from obtaining local licenses that would otherwise be required from municipal or parish governing authorities.

Nonprofit healthcare organizations meeting the statutory definition benefit from streamlined regulatory compliance and reduced administrative burden when conducting charitable raffles, bingo, and keno operations. These organizations avoid the licensing fees and application procedures that currently apply to other qualifying charitable entities such as schools, parent-teacher associations, and volunteer fire companies. The annual notification requirement to the office of charitable gaming represents a minimal reporting obligation compared to the full licensing regime. Local governments lose the authority to condition such gaming activities on municipal or parish approval, potentially affecting their oversight capacity and any fees they might otherwise collect from licensing.

Senate Bill 181 operates within the framework of Louisiana's charitable gaming statutes, specifically modifying Section 707 which establishes authorization and licensing requirements for organizations permitted to conduct games of chance. The bill preserves existing definitions for other eligible charitable organizations while inserting the new nonprofit healthcare organization category into the definitional structure. The exemption from licensure requirements operates notwithstanding the general authorization provisions in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Subsection H, creating a carve-out from standard licensing procedures. The bill's effective date of August 1, 2026 allows the office of charitable gaming time to prepare administrative systems for the new annual notification process.