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• Introduced by Sen. Tom George (R) on March 18, 2004, to establish regulations on sweepstakes contests and giveaways. The bill would ban promotions that tell a person he or she is a sweepstakes winner unless the person really is the winner or has actually won a prize. It would require sweepstakes solicitors to disclose the official rules of the contest in any mailings, including the odds of winning; prohibit requiring a person to make a payment to obtain or be eligible for a prize; and more.
  • Referred to the Senate Economic Development, Small Business and Regulatory Reform Committee on March 18, 2004.
    • Reported in the Senate on June 22, 2004, with the recommendation that the bill pass.
  • Amendment offered in the Senate on June 24, 2004, to require that sweepstakes communications must provide a method by which reipients may remove their name from future solicitations, and require that random drawing prize winners be notified withing 60 days. Also, to establish that prosecution under the law proposed by this bill would not preclude action under the state consumer protection act. The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on June 24, 2004.
  • Amendment offered by Sen. Tom George (R) on June 29, 2004, to clarify that certain fines authorized by the bill are for a "state civil infraction," which has the effect of distributing any revenue from the fines according to an existing statutory formula. The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on June 29, 2004.
• Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on June 29, 2004.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the House on June 29, 2004.
  • Referred to the House Commerce Committee on June 29, 2004.