BILL ANALYSIS
SB 830
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Date of Hearing: July 8, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Joe Coto, Chairman
SB 830 (Committee on G.O.) - As Introduced: March 19, 2009
SENATE VOTE : 36-0
SUBJECT : Horse racing law: intent.
SUMMARY : Clarifies the policy purpose of Horse Racing Law,
reflecting the changes made to the law pursuant to the enactment
of SB 16XX (Ashburn), Chapter 12, Statutes of 2009 Second
Extraordinary Session. Specifically, this bill :
1)Deletes "supporting, the network of California fairs" from the
intent of existing law.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Article IV, Section 19(b) of the Constitution of the State of
California provides that the Legislature may provide for the
regulation of horse races and horse race meetings and wagering
on the results.
2)Provides that the intent of California's Horse Racing Law is
to allow pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing while:
a) Assuring protection of the public.
b) Encouraging agriculture and the breeding of horses in
this state.
c) Supporting the network of California fairs.
d) Providing for maximum expansion of horse racing
opportunities in the public interest.
e) Providing uniformity of regulation for each type of
horse racing.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
SB 830
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In 1933, California voters passed a constitutional amendment
authorizing pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing. The
commitment to use a percentage of the wagers to establish a
continuous funding source for the fairs, while at the same time,
relieving the state's General Fund of the funding
burden became socially and politically palatable in 1933 as the
country began to pull itself up by the bootstraps from the Great
Depression.
For more than 75 years, this relationship existed between horse
racing and the fairs until the enactment of SB 16xx. SB 16xx
authorizes the appropriation of $32 million a year from the
state's General Fund in support of the fairs and relieves the
horse racing industry of its obligation to fund the fairs from
license fees assessed on horse racing wagers. As such, SB 830
modifies the stated policy purpose of the Horse Racing Law to
reflect the changes brought about by SB 16xx.
Prior Legislation : SB 16xx (Ashburn), Chapter 12, Statutes of
2009-10 Second Extraordinary Session. Among other things,
provides that beginning on July 1, 2009, and annually
thereafter, thirty-two million ($32,000,000) shall be
appropriated from the state's General Fund and paid into the
Fair and Exposition Fund for the financial support of the
network of California fairs.
Related legislation . AB 1575 (Governmental Organization
Committee) of 2009, makes numerous technical, clarifying, and
conforming changes in order to update and condense where
possible, current horse racing statutes found in the Business
and Professions Code. Pending in Senate G.O. Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Eric Johnson / G. O. / (916) 319-2531