BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1486|
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CONSENT
Bill No: SB 1486
Author: Senate Governmental Organization Committee
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
SENATE GOVERNMENTAL ORG. COMMITTEE : 10-0, 4/13/10
AYES: Wright, Calderon, Denham, Florez, Negrete McLeod,
Oropeza, Padilla, Price, Wyland, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Harman
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Horse racing law intent: backstretch personnel
housing:
jockey riding fees
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill 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 2009-10 Second Extraordinary Session. This bill deletes
any reference to the emergency regulations to establish
standards governing the employee housing provided to
backstretch personnel at licensed racetracks for which
compliance was mandated by January 1, 2004. This bill
deletes obsolete findings of the Legislature with regards
to professional jockey fees.
CONTINUED
SB 1486
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ANALYSIS : Existing law provides that the intent of
California's Horse Racing Law is to allow parimutuel
wagering on horse racing while:
1. Assuring protection of the public.
2. Encouraging agriculture and the breeding of horses in
this state.
3. Supporting the network of California fairs.
4. Providing for maximum expansion of horse racing
opportunities in the public interest.
5. Providing uniformity of regulation for each type of
horse racing.
Comments
In 1933, California voters passed a constitutional
amendment authorizing parimutuel 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,
which appropriates $32 million a year from the 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. This bill modifies
the stated policy purpose of Horse Racing Law to reflect
the changes brought about by SB 16xx.
The bill cleans up two other provisions of law by
eliminating obsolete provisions authorizing the California
Horse Racing Board to enact emergency regulations with
regards to housing provided to backstretch personnel at
licensed racetracks. Finally, the bill eliminates
references to "minimum jockey riding fees for losing
mounts".
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Prior/Related 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.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
TSM:do 4/27/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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