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House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	December 23, 2014 01:18 PM
From:	Representative Tim Hennessey
To:	All House members
Subject:	PA Lottery Funded Programs

I am reintroducing legislation which would ensure that the PA Lottery Fund be used solely to fund programs and services for older Pennsylvanians. Despite the fact the Legislature created the Lottery for the purpose of benefitting older Pennsylvanians, lottery monies have been used on a number of occasions for purposes that were never intended. Over several Administrations, both Republican and Democrat, lottery monies have been either “borrowed” or directly allocated to start up casinos and to pay the operating expenses of the Department of Aging. That was not the intent of the General Assembly when they created the Lottery in the early 70’s, Even when the Lottery Fund has been used for purposes beyond the statutorily authorized programs (PT/RR, Pace/PaceNet, Senior Transit, etc.) we always had enough money to fund our basic programs. Over the past several years, however, due to lack of funding support, our local Area Agencies on Aging have been forced to either cut back or totally eliminate certain programs. Some senior centers have closed altogether, or have consolidated with other centers. Given current demographic forecasts, the fact that funding to our local AAA’s for programs and benefits has not increased over the past eight years, and the lottery profit level commitments that anticipated with the new management of our State Lottery Program, I believe that the time has come to provide clear statutory direction on the legislature’s intent on how lottery funds may be used. Previous Co-Sponsors: Hennessey, Caltagirone, Causer, Costa, DeLuca, Everett, Gingrich, Grove, Haluska, Harkins, Harris, Hess, Kauffman, Knowles, Micozzie, Millard, Miller, Mundy, Murt, O’Neill, Petri, Pyle, Readshaw, Roae, Sabatina, Saylor, Swanger, Tallman, Watson.

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