A bill that moves the expiration date on the Quality of Life scratch-off gameproceeds of which go towards persons with HIV/AIDSis on its way to the House Rules Committee.
SB 2397, introduced in February by state Sen. Jackie Collins, amends the state lottery law to change the expiration date of the scratch-off game, also known as Red Ribbon Cash, from Dec. 31, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2015. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate on April 19 and was passed to the House Rules Committee on May 13.
The legislation enabling the Red Ribbon Cash tickets was signed into law by Gov. Rod Blagojevich in Oct. 2007. The tickets debuted the following year. Net proceeds from ticket sales are deposited into a fund for entities serving individuals with HIV/AIDS. Activists Ben Montgomery, Marc Loveless and Michael O'Connor were among those who lobbied for passage of the original legislation. All three men were on hand for AIDS Foundation of Chicago's Advocacy Day when Collins' legislation advanced May 13.
O'Connor reflected on the impact of the tickets, which have now been around for nearly a decade, adding, "The Quality of life lottery fund has provided more than $4 million in revenue to HIV/AIDS service providers in Illinois, and it is the only independent revenue enhancer of its kind in the United States."