Yesterday, the Indiana Senate voted unanimously to pass Senate Bill 315, authored by state Senator Randy Head (R-18). Following the vote, this bill was sent to the state House. SB 315 will streamline the licensing and reporting process for charity gaming events, such as Friends of NRA banquets, by:

1. Establishing one comprehensive charity gaming license for national organizations and foundations for use by their local affiliates;

2. Removing the current six to nine week application process and requiring in its place a 21-day notification to the Indiana Gaming Commission prior to an event; and

3. Allowing qualified organizations and foundations to "police their own" by removing requirements to turn over volunteers' personal information to the Indiana Gaming Commission.

These policy changes would greatly improve the ability of Friends of NRA committees to comply with Indiana charitable gaming laws in a timely and less cumbersome fashion, while protecting the personal information of Friends of NRA volunteers.

As many NRA members well know, Friends of NRA banquets play a critical role in raising grant money to support education, safety, and training programs in communities across the Hoosier State, such as the Boy Scouts, 4H clubs, and local law enforcement groups. Unfortunately, some Friends of NRA chapters had difficulties holding banquets in 2011, which resulted in a net loss of approximately $100,000 in money that cannot be used for these Indiana groups.

Your NRA will keep you updated on the status of SB 315 as it moves through the House.

Please remember to send a note of thanks to Senator Randy Head for authoring this important bill, and to thank your senator for his or her support!

To contact Senator Randy Head, please click here.

Contact information for your senator can be found by clicking here.