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Related bills creating veterans lotto game, adult day care move to Pa. House floor

Daily Item - 4/12/2022

Apr. 12—HARRISBURG — A pair of bills proposing the creation of a new Pennsylvania instant lottery ticket to support the creation and operation of an adult day care program for military veterans passed out of committee Tuesday and will move to the House floor for consideration.

House Bill 1691 would amend the State Lottery Law to create the game. Proceeds would be directed to the Veterans' Trust Fund to fund the day care program.

The adult day care program, proposed to be administered by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), is established under separate legislation, House Bill 1972. It would provide long-term care services for adults in need.

State Rep. Karen Boback, R-Luzerne/Lackawanna/Wyoming, proposed both measures.

"A similar ticket exists in Texas which has contributed $177 million since 2009 including over $21 million in 2021," said Boback, the committee chair.

The measure received unanimous support from committee members but not without expressions of concern, particularly with the potential unpredictability of lottery sales revenue and management by the DMVA.

State Rep. Christina Sappey, D-Chester, said lottery experts spoke of the unpredictable nature of ticket sales during a prior hearing on the proposal. The funding could be underwhelming, too. She referred to the potential use of billions in unused federal COVID-19 relief aid rather than reliance on sin taxes and user fees to fund programs for veterans and first responders and that more sustainable funding options are needed moving forward.

"As a policy evaluation, this falls short of what I'd hope," said state Rep. Joe Webster, D-Montgomery, who had similar reservations regarding revenue for the adult day care program.

State Rep. Dan Williams, D-Chester, said a direct transfer from the Veterans' Trust Fund might be a more predictable way to fund veterans day care, and consideration must be paid to the potential impact on other programs for senior citizens.

The Pennsylvania Lottery generated $32.6 billion to benefit seniors since it was established in 1972, according to the Lottery's website. The money supports fixed-route transportation, low-cost prescriptions through PACE and PACENET, property tax and rent rebates as well as services provided through county Area Agencies on Aging.

Rep. Mark Gillen, R-Berks/Lancaster, referred to the $1.3 billion profit the Pennsylvania Lottery generated in fiscal 2021. That's a record, he said.

"We expect that to continue even in the face of the competition from the casinos," Gillen said.

According to the Lottery, scratch-off game sales totaled $3.7 billion, up by $554.6 million from the year prior.

"We do need this," said state Rep. Francis Ryan, R-Lebanon. "It's a crisis."

Ryan also cautioned that, like himself, not all seniors are in need of financial aid. Help must be directed to those in need, he said.

State Rep. Timothy O'Neal, R-Washington, cast doubt that DMVA could properly manage an adult day care program. He said he'd propose an amendment from the House floor to prevent the department from administering it.

"We've seen a complete failure from the DMVA in the management of the veterans homes, especially throughout the pandemic," O'Neal said. "I do not have confidence in the department to continue to manage those homes let alone establish new programs."

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