House 5373

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5373

By Delegate Statler

[Introduced February 09, 2026; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend and reenact §47-21-5 and §47-21-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to authorizing two or more charitable or public service organizations to hold a joint raffle occasion.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 21. CHARITABLE BINGO.

§47-21-5. Annual license; conditions on holding of raffles.

A charitable or public service organization or any of its auxiliaries or other organizations otherwise affiliated with it, may apply for an annual license. Only one license per year in the aggregate may be granted to a charitable or public service organization and all of its auxiliaries or other associations or organizations otherwise affiliated with it: Provided, That for purposes of this section, the various branches, chapters or lodges of any national association or organization or local churches of a nationally organized church are not considered affiliates or auxiliaries of each other. The commissioner shall by regulation provide for the manner for determining to which organization, whether the parent organization, an affiliate or an auxiliary, the one license allowed under this section is granted. An annual license is valid for one year from the date of issuance. No organizations may hold a joint raffle occasion under any annual licenses: Provided, however, that two or more charitable or public service organizations may hold a joint raffle occasion if each participating organization has been granted a limited occasion raffle license for the jointly held occasion under §47-21-6.  An annual license holder may obtain one limited occasion license during the period its annual license is valid.  No more than three limited occasion licenses per year may be granted to an organization that does not hold an annual license.

A licensee shall display its annual raffle license conspicuously at the location where the raffle occasion is held.

§47-21-6. Limited occasion license; conditions on holding of raffles.

Two or more organizations may hold a joint raffle occasion provided each participating organization has been granted a limited occasion raffle license for such jointly held occasion: Provided, That no licensee which holds an annual license may obtain more than one limited occasion license An annual license holder may obtain one limited occasion license during the period its annual license is valid.  

A limited occasion license is valid only for the time period specified in the application and entitles only the licensee to hold two raffle occasions during the time period so specified which may not exceed six months from the date of issuance of such limited occasion license.

Subject to the limitations set forth in this section for charitable or public service organization having an annual license, a charitable or public service organization and all of its auxiliaries or other associations or organizations otherwise affiliated with it, may be granted only three limited occasion licenses per year in the aggregate. For purposes of this section the various branches, chapters or lodges of any national association or organization or local churches of a nationally organized church are not considered affiliates or auxiliaries of each other. The commissioner shall by regulation provide the manner for determining to which organization, whether the parent organization, an affiliate or an auxiliary, the three licenses allowed under this section are granted.

A licensee shall display its limited occasion license conspicuously at the location where the raffle occasion is held.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to authorize two or more charitable or public service organizations to hold a joint raffle occasion.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.