BILL NUMBER: AB 1486	CHAPTERED  07/28/99

	CHAPTER   218
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   JULY 28, 1999
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   JULY 28, 1999
	PASSED THE SENATE   JULY 15, 1999
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   MAY 10, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 27, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Maldonado

                        FEBRUARY 26, 1999

   An act to amend Section 19549 of the Business and Professions
Code, relating to horse racing.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1486, Maldonado.  Horse racing:  racing dates.
   Existing law generally provides that, with the exception of mixed
breed and combined fair racing meetings, the maximum number of racing
days that may be allocated to the California Exposition and State
Fair or to a county or district agricultural association or citrus
fruit fair shall be 14 days each year, concurrent with the period in
which general fair activities are conducted, but that any fair racing
association that conducted racing in the central or southern zones
prior to January 1, 1980, shall be entitled to be allocated up to 3
weeks of racing.  Existing law also provides that nothing in these
provisions shall diminish the authority of the California Horse
Racing Board to establish racing dates.
   This bill would additionally require the board to take public
testimony and make all determinations on the allocation of racing
dates during a public hearing.  It would also require all discussions
of allocating racing dates by the board or its subcommittees to be
conducted during a public hearing.


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


  SECTION 1.  Section 19549 of the Business and Professions Code is
amended to read:
   19549.  Except as provided in Section 19549.1, the maximum number
of racing days that may be allocated to the California Exposition and
State Fair or a county or district agricultural association fair or
citrus fruit fair shall be 14 days each year.  Those racing days
shall be days during the period in which general fair activities are
conducted.  However, any fair racing association that conducted
racing in the central or southern zone prior to January 1, 1980,
shall be entitled to be allocated up to three weeks of racing.  The
board shall take public testimony and make all determinations on the
allocation of racing dates during a public hearing.  All discussions
of allocating racing dates by the board or its subcommittees shall be
conducted during a public hearing.  Nothing in this section
diminishes the authority of the board to establish racing dates.