BILL NUMBER: SB 379	CHAPTERED  10/10/07

	CHAPTER  443
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  OCTOBER 10, 2007
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  OCTOBER 10, 2007
	PASSED THE SENATE  MAY 17, 2007
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  SEPTEMBER 4, 2007

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Denham

                        FEBRUARY 21, 2007

   An act to amend Section 19596.2 of the Business and Professions
Code, relating to horse racing, and making an appropriation therefor.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 379, Denham. Horse racing: out-of-country thoroughbred races.
   Existing law provides that a thoroughbred racing association or
fair may distribute the audiovisual signal and accept wagers on the
results of out-of-state and out-of-country thoroughbred races during
the calendar period the association or fair is conducting a race
meeting, provided that the total number of thoroughbred races on
which wagers are accepted statewide in any given year does not exceed
the total number of thoroughbred races on which wagers were accepted
in 1998. Existing law further prohibits the total number of
thoroughbred races imported by associations or fairs from exceeding
23 per day on days when live thoroughbred or fair racing is being
conducted in the state. However, that limitation excludes races
imported that are part of the race card of the Kentucky Derby,
Kentucky Oaks, and other specified races.
   This bill would add the Dubai Cup to the list of imported races
not subject to the limitation of 23 races per day.
   Under existing law, revenues distributed to the state as license
fees from horse racing are required to be deposited in the Fair and
Exposition Fund and are continuously appropriated to the Department
of Food and Agriculture for various regulatory and general
governmental purposes.
   This bill would authorize additional wagering, and would increase
the amount of continuously appropriated license fees, thereby making
an appropriation.
   Appropriation: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 19596.2 of the Business and Professions Code is
amended to read:
   19596.2.  (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and
except as provided in Section 19596.4, a thoroughbred racing
association or fair may distribute the audiovisual signal and accept
wagers on the results of out-of-state thoroughbred races conducted in
the United States during the calendar period the association or fair
is conducting a race meeting, including days on which there is no
live racing being conducted by the association or fair, without the
consent of the organization that represents horsemen participating in
the race meeting and without regard to the amount of purses,
provided that the total number of thoroughbred races on which wagers
are accepted statewide in any given year does not exceed the total
number of thoroughbred races on which wagers were accepted in 1998.
Further, the total number of thoroughbred races imported by
associations or fairs on a statewide basis under this section shall
not exceed 23 per day on days when live thoroughbred or fair racing
is being conducted in the state. The limitation of 23 imported races
per day does not apply to any of the following:
   (1) Races imported for wagering purposes pursuant to subdivision
(c).
   (2) Races imported that are part of the race card of the Kentucky
Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes,
the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Breeders' Cup, the Dubai Cup, or the
Haskell Invitational.
   (3) Races imported into the northern zone when there is no live
thoroughbred or fair racing being conducted in the northern zone.
   (4) Races imported into the combined central and southern zones
when there is no live thoroughbred or fair racing being conducted in
the combined central and southern zones.
   (b) Any thoroughbred association or fair accepting wagers pursuant
to subdivision (a) shall conduct the wagering in accordance with the
applicable provisions of Sections 19601, 19616, 19616.1, and
19616.2.
   (c) No thoroughbred association or fair may accept wagers pursuant
to this section on out-of-state races commencing after 7 p.m.,
Pacific standard time, without the consent of the harness or quarter
horse racing association that is then conducting a live racing
meeting in Orange or Sacramento Counties.