Opinion ID: 1104877
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 22

Heading: Part VIII. STATE MONITORING OF COMPACT

Text: A. The SCA may, pursuant to the provisions of this Compact, monitor the conduct of Covered Games to ensure that the Covered Games are conducted in compliance with the provisions of this Compact. In order to properly monitor the conduct of Covered Games, agents of the SCA without prior notice shall have reasonable access to all public areas of the Facilities related to the conduct of Covered Games as provided herein. 1. While the Commission will act as the regulator of the Facilities, the SCA may take reasonable steps to assure that operations at the Facilities comply with the terms of this Compact and may advise on such issues as it deems appropriate. 2. In order to fulfill its oversight responsibilities, the State has identified specific oversight testing procedures, set forth below in paragraph 3, subsections (a)(b) and (c), which the SCA may perform on a routine basis. 3. (a) The SCA may inspect any Covered Games in operation at the Facilities on a random basis not to exceed four (4) times annually at each Facility to confirm that the Covered Games operate and play properly pursuant to the manufacturer's technical standards. Such random inspections shall occur during normal business hours. The SCA shall provide notice to the Commission of such inspection at or prior to the commencement of the random inspections, and a Commission agent may accompany the inspection. (b) For each Facility, the SCA may perform one annual review of the slot machine compliance audit. (c) At least on an annual basis, the SCA may meet with the Tribe's Internal Audit Department for Gaming to review internal controls and violations of same by the Facilities. 4. The SCA will seek to work with and obtain the assistance of the Commission in the resolution of any conflicts with the management of the Facilities, and the State and the Tribe shall make their best efforts to resolve disputes through negotiation whenever possible. Therefore, in order to foster a spirit of cooperation and efficiency, the parties hereby agree that when disputes arise between the SCA staff and Commission regulators from the day-to-day regulation of the Facilities, they should generally be resolved first through meeting and conferring in good faith. This voluntary process does not proscribe the right of either party to seek other relief that may be available when circumstances require such relief. In the event of a dispute or disagreement between Tribal and SCA regulators, the dispute or disagreement shall be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution provisions of Part XIII of this Compact; 5. Access to each Facility by the SCA shall be during the Facility's normal operating hours only, provided that to the extent such inspections are limited to areas of the Facility where the public is normally permitted, the SCA agents may inspect the Facility without giving prior notice to the Tribe or the Commission; 6. Any suspected or claimed violations of this Compact or law shall be directed in writing to the Commission; the SCA agents, in conducting the functions assigned them under this Compact, shall not unreasonably interfere with the functioning of any Facility; and 7. Before the SCA agents enter any nonpublic area of a Facility, they shall provide proper prior notice and photographic identification to the Commission. The SCA agents shall be accompanied in nonpublic areas of the Facility by a Commission officer. Notice of at least two (2) hours by the SCA to the Commission is required to assure that a Commission officer is available to accompany the SCA agents at all times. B. Subject to the provisions herein, agents of the SCA shall have the right to review and request copies of documents of the Facility related to its conduct of Covered Games. The review and copying of such documents shall be during normal business hours unless otherwise allowed by the Tribe at the Tribe's discretion. The Tribe cannot refuse said inspection and copying of such documents, provided that the inspectors cannot require copies of documents in such volume that it unreasonably interferes with the normal functioning of the Facilities or Covered Games. To the extent that the Tribe provides the State with information which the Tribe claims to be confidential and proprietary, or a trade secret, the Tribe shall clearly mark such information with the following designation: Trade Secret, Confidential and Proprietary. If the State receives a request under chapter 119, Florida Statutes that would include such designated information, the State shall promptly notify the Tribe of such a request and the Tribe shall promptly notify the State about its intent to seek judicial protection from disclosure. Upon such notice from the Tribe, the State shall not release the requested information until a judicial determination is made. This designation and notification procedure does not excuse the State from complying with the requirements of the State's public records law, but is intended to provide the Tribe the opportunity to seek whatever judicial remedy it deems appropriate. Notwithstanding the foregoing procedure, the SCA may provide copies of tribal documents to federal law enforcement and other State agencies or State consultants that the State deems reasonably necessary in order to conduct or complete any investigation of suspected criminal activity in connection with the Tribe's Covered Games or the operation of the Facilities or in order to assure the Tribe's compliance with this Compact. C. At the completion of any SCA inspection or investigation, the SCA may forward a written report thereof to the Commission, containing all pertinent, nonconfidential, nonproprietary information regarding any violation of applicable laws or this Compact which was discovered during the inspection or investigation unless disclosure thereof would adversely impact an investigation of suspected criminal activity. Nothing herein prevents the SCA from contacting tribal or federal law enforcement authorities for suspected criminal wrongdoing involving the Commission. D. Except as expressly provided in this Compact, nothing in this Compact shall be deemed to authorize the State to regulate the Tribe's government, including the Commission, or to interfere in any way with the Tribe's selection of its governmental officers, including members of the Commission.