9-226.

Department; powers, functions, and duties.

The department shall have the following powers, functions, and duties:

(1) To issue licenses, temporary licenses, and permits;

(2) To deny any license or permit application or renewal license application for cause. Cause for denial of an application or renewal of a license shall include instances in which the applicant individually or, in the case of a business entity or a nonprofit organization, any officer, director, employee, or limited liability company member of the applicant, licensee, or permittee, other than an employee whose duties are purely ministerial in nature, any other person or entity directly or indirectly associated with such applicant, licensee, or permittee which directly or indirectly receives compensation other than distributions from a bona fide retirement or pension plan established pursuant to Chapter 1, subchapter D of the Internal Revenue Code from such applicant for past or present services in a consulting capacity or otherwise, the licensee, or any person with a substantial interest in the applicant, licensee, or permittee:

(a) Violated the provisions, requirements, conditions, limitations, or duties imposed by the Nebraska Bingo Act, the Nebraska County and City Lottery Act, the Nebraska Lottery and Raffle Act, the Nebraska Pickle Card Lottery Act, the Nebraska Small Lottery and Raffle Act, or the State Lottery Act or any rules or regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant to the acts;

(b) Knowingly caused, aided, abetted, or conspired with another to cause any person to violate any of the provisions of such acts or any rules or regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant to such acts;

(c) Obtained a license or permit pursuant to such acts by fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment;

(d) Was convicted of, forfeited bond upon a charge of, or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to any offense or crime, whether a felony or misdemeanor, involving any gambling activity or fraud, theft, willful failure to make required payments or reports, or filing false reports with a governmental agency at any level;

(e) Was convicted of, forfeited bond upon a charge of, or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to any felony other than those described in subdivision (d) of this subdivision within the ten years preceding the filing of the application;

(f) Denied the department or its authorized representatives, including authorized law enforcement agencies, access to any place where bingo activity required to be licensed or for which a permit is required under the Nebraska Bingo Act is being conducted or failed to produce for inspection or audit any book, record, document, or item required by law, rule, or regulation;

(g) Made a misrepresentation of or failed to disclose a material fact to the department;

(h) Failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence his, her, or its qualifications to be licensed or granted a permit in accordance with the Nebraska Bingo Act;

(i) Failed to pay any taxes and additions to taxes, including penalties and interest, required by the Nebraska Bingo Act, the Nebraska County and City Lottery Act, the Nebraska Lottery and Raffle Act, or the Nebraska Pickle Card Lottery Act or any other taxes imposed pursuant to the Nebraska Revenue Act of 1967;

(j) Failed to pay an administrative fine levied pursuant to the Nebraska Bingo Act, the Nebraska County and City Lottery Act, the Nebraska Lottery and Raffle Act, or the Nebraska Pickle Card Lottery Act;

(k) Failed to demonstrate good character, honesty, and integrity;

(l) Failed to demonstrate, either individually or, in the case of a business entity or a nonprofit organization, through its managers, employees, or agents, the ability, experience, or financial responsibility necessary to establish or maintain the activity for which the application is made; or

(m) Was cited and whose liquor license was suspended, canceled, or revoked by the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission for illegal gambling activities that occurred on or after July 20, 2002, on or about a premises licensed by the commission pursuant to the Nebraska Liquor Control Act or the rules and regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant to such act.

No renewal of a license under the Nebraska Bingo Act shall be issued when the applicant for renewal would not be eligible for a license upon a first application;

(3) To revoke, cancel, or suspend for cause any license or permit. Cause for revocation, cancellation, or suspension of a license or permit shall include instances in which the licensee or permittee individually or, in the case of a business entity or a nonprofit organization, any officer, director, employee, or limited liability company member of the licensee or permittee, other than an employee whose duties are purely ministerial in nature, any other person or entity directly or indirectly associated with such licensee or permittee which directly or indirectly receives compensation other than distributions from a bona fide retirement or pension plan established pursuant to Chapter 1, subchapter D of the Internal Revenue Code from such licensee or permittee for past or present services in a consulting capacity or otherwise, or any person with a substantial interest in the licensee or permittee:

(a) Violated the provisions, requirements, conditions, limitations, or duties imposed by the Nebraska Bingo Act, the Nebraska County and City Lottery Act, the Nebraska Lottery and Raffle Act, the Nebraska Pickle Card Lottery Act, the Nebraska Small Lottery and Raffle Act, the State Lottery Act, or any rules or regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant to such acts;

(b) Knowingly caused, aided, abetted, or conspired with another to cause any person to violate any of the provisions of the Nebraska Bingo Act or any rules or regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant to the act;

(c) Obtained a license or permit pursuant to the Nebraska Bingo Act by fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment;

(d) Was convicted of, forfeited bond upon the charge of, or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to any offense or crime, whether a felony or a misdemeanor, involving any gambling activity or fraud, theft, willful failure to make required payments or reports, or filing false reports with a governmental agency at any level;

(e) Was convicted of, forfeited bond upon a charge of, or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to any felony other than those described in subdivision (d) of this subdivision within the ten years preceding the filing of the application;

(f) Denied the department or its authorized representatives, including authorized law enforcement agencies, access to any place where bingo activity required to be licensed or for which a permit is required under the Nebraska Bingo Act is being conducted or failed to produce for inspection or audit any book, record, document, or item required by law, rule, or regulation;

(g) Made a misrepresentation of or failed to disclose a material fact to the department;

(h) Failed to pay any taxes and additions to taxes, including penalties and interest, required by the Nebraska Bingo Act, the Nebraska County and City Lottery Act, the Nebraska Lottery and Raffle Act, or the Nebraska Pickle Card Lottery Act or any other taxes imposed pursuant to the Nebraska Revenue Act of 1967;

(i) Failed to pay an administrative fine levied pursuant to the Nebraska Bingo Act, the Nebraska County and City Lottery Act, the Nebraska Lottery and Raffle Act, or the Nebraska Pickle Card Lottery Act;

(j) Failed to demonstrate good character, honesty, and integrity;

(k) Failed to demonstrate, either individually or, in the case of a business entity or a nonprofit organization, through its managers, employees, or agents, the ability, experience, or financial responsibility necessary to maintain the activity for which the license was issued; or

(l) Was cited and whose liquor license was suspended, canceled, or revoked by the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission for illegal gambling activities that occurred on or after July 20, 2002, on or about a premises licensed by the commission pursuant to the Nebraska Liquor Control Act or the rules and regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant to such act;

(4) To issue an order requiring a licensee, permittee, or other person to cease and desist from violations of the Nebraska Bingo Act or any rules and regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant to such act. The order shall give reasonable notice of the rights of the licensee, permittee, or other person to request a hearing and shall state the reason for the entry of the order. The notice of order to cease and desist shall be mailed to or personally served upon the licensee, permittee, or other person. If the notice of order is mailed, the date the notice is mailed shall be deemed to be the date of service of notice to the licensee, permittee, or other person. A request for a hearing by the licensee, permittee, or other person shall be in writing and shall be filed with the department within thirty days after the service of the cease and desist order. If a request for hearing is not filed within the thirty-day period, the cease and desist order shall become permanent at the expiration of such period. A hearing shall be held not later than thirty days after the request for the hearing is received by the Tax Commissioner, and within twenty days after the date of the hearing, the Tax Commissioner shall issue an order vacating the cease and desist order or making it permanent as the facts require. All hearings shall be held in accordance with the rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the department. If the licensee, permittee, or other person to whom a cease and desist order is issued fails to appear at the hearing after being duly notified, the licensee, permittee, or other person shall be deemed in default and the proceeding may be determined against the licensee, permittee, or other person upon consideration of the cease and desist order, the allegations of which may be deemed to be true;

(5) To levy an administrative fine on an individual, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, or organization for cause. For purposes of this subdivision, cause shall include instances in which the individual, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, or organization violated the provisions, requirements, conditions, limitations, or duties imposed by the act or any rule or regulation adopted and promulgated pursuant to the act. In determining whether to levy an administrative fine and the amount of the fine if any fine is levied, the department shall take into consideration the seriousness of the violation, the intent of the violator, whether the violator voluntarily reported the violation, whether the violator derived financial gain as a result of the violation and the extent thereof, and whether the violator has had previous violations of the act, rules, or regulations. A fine levied on a violator under this section shall not exceed one thousand dollars for each violation of the act or any rule or regulation adopted and promulgated pursuant to the act plus the financial benefit derived by the violator as a result of each violation. If an administrative fine is levied, the fine shall not be paid from bingo gross receipts of an organization and shall be remitted by the violator to the department within thirty days after the date of the order issued by the department levying such fine;

(6) To enter or to authorize any law enforcement officer to enter at any time upon any premises where bingo activity required to be licensed or for which a permit is required under the act is being conducted to determine whether any of the provisions of the act or any rules or regulations adopted and promulgated under the act have been or are being violated and at such time to examine such premises;

(7) To require periodic reports of bingo activity from licensees under the act as the department deems necessary to carry out the act;

(8) To examine or to cause to have examined, by any agent or representative designated by the department for such purpose, any books, papers, records, or memoranda relating to bingo activities of any licensee or permittee, to require by administrative order or summons the production of such documents or the attendance of any person having knowledge in the premises, to take testimony under oath, and to acquire proof material for its information. If any such person willfully refuses to make documents available for examination by the department or its agent or representative or willfully fails to attend and testify, the department may apply to a judge of the district court of the county in which such person resides for an order directing such person to comply with the department's request. If any documents requested by the department are in the custody of a corporation, the court order may be directed to any principal officer of the corporation. If the documents requested by the department are in the custody of a limited liability company, the court order may be directed to any member when management is reserved to the members or otherwise to any manager. Any person who fails or refuses to obey such a court order shall be guilty of contempt of court;

(9) Unless specifically provided otherwise, to compute, determine, assess, and collect the amounts required to be paid to the state as taxes imposed by the act in the same manner as provided for sales and use taxes in the Nebraska Revenue Act of 1967;

(10) To collect license application, license renewal application, and permit fees imposed by the Nebraska Bingo Act and to prorate license fees on an annual basis. The department shall establish by rule and regulation the conditions and circumstances under which such fees may be prorated;

(11) To confiscate and seize bingo supplies and equipment pursuant to section 9-262.01; and

(12) To adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations, prescribe such forms, and employ such staff, including inspectors, as are necessary to carry out the act.