BILL NUMBER: AB 2048	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Silva

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2008

   An act to amend Section 19533 of the Business and Professions
Code, relating to horse racing.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2048, as introduced, Silva. Horse racing: thoroughbred racing.
   Existing law gives the California Horse Racing Board the authority
to regulate horse racing and parimutuel wagering on horse races in
California. Existing law generally requires that any license granted
to an association other than a fair shall be for only a single type
of racing, except that the board may authorize the participation of
thoroughbred and Appaloosa horses in quarter horse races subject to
specified conditions. Existing law also provides that any association
licensed to conduct quarter horse racing may apply to the board for,
and be granted, the authority to conduct thoroughbred racing as part
of its racing program, provided that specified conditions are met,
including, among others, that the thoroughbred races are for a
claiming price of not more than $5,000.
   This bill would increase the claiming price to not more than
$8,000.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 19533 of the Business and Professions Code is
amended to read:
   19533.  (a) Any license granted to an association other than a
fair shall be only for one type of racing, thoroughbred, harness, or
quarter horse racing as the case may be, except that the board may
authorize the entering of thoroughbred and Appaloosa horses in
quarter horse races at a distance not exceeding five furlongs at
quarter horse meetings, mixed breed meetings, and fair meetings. If
the board authorizes the entering of thoroughbred or Appaloosa horses
in quarter horse races, the following conditions shall be met:
   (1) Any race written for participation by quarter horses,
Appaloosas, and thoroughbreds shall be written as quarter horse
preferred.
   (2) The number of races written as quarter horse preferred at a
distance exceeding 870 yards shall not exceed more than three races
per program without the consent of the quarter horse horsemen's
organization contracting with the association.
   (3) More than one-half of the races on any program shall be for
quarter horses at a distance not to exceed 550 yards, unless the
consent of the quarter horse horsemen's organization is received.
   (4) Mixed races with Appaloosa and quarter horses may only be
written with the consent of the quarter horse horsemen's organization
contracting with the association.
   (5) Thoroughbreds shall constitute less than half the number of
horses in these races although an exception may be granted on a
race-to-race basis with the consent of the quarter horse horsemen's
organization contracting with the association.
   (b) The association that conducts the meeting shall pay to a
thoroughbred trainers' organization an amount for a pension plan for
backstretch personnel to be administered by that trainers'
organization equivalent to 1 percent of the amount available to
thoroughbred horses for purses. The remainder of the portion shall be
distributed as purses. Any redistributable money paid to the board
pursuant to Section 19641, which is paid to a welfare fund
established by a horsemen's organization from races with both
thoroughbred and quarter horses, shall be divided pro rata between
the two welfare funds based on the number of thoroughbreds and
quarter horses in the race.
   (c) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any
association licensed to conduct quarter horse racing may apply to the
board for, and the board shall grant, authority to conduct
thoroughbred racing as part of its racing program if all of the
following conditions are met:
   (A) The thoroughbred races are for a claiming price of not more
than  five thousand dollars ($5,000)   eight
thousand dollars ($8,000)  , and at a distance of four and
one-half furlongs or less. The races may not be stakes, allowance
races, or maiden allowance races.
   (B) More than one-half of the races on any program shall be for
quarter horses at a distance not to exceed 550 yards, unless the
consent of the quarter horse horsemen's organization is received.
   (C) The consent of the quarter horse horsemen's organization
contracting with the association is obtained with respect to the
inclusion of thoroughbred racing.
   (2) The quarter horse racing association conducting thoroughbred
racing pursuant to this subdivision shall pay to a quarter horse
horsemen's organization the amount specified in subdivision (e) of
Section 19613, and an amount for a pension plan for backstretch
personnel to be administered by a thoroughbred trainers' organization
equivalent to 1 percent of the amount available to thoroughbred
horses for purses. The remainder of the portion shall be distributed
as purses. The quarter horse racing association shall also deduct the
appropriate amount to comply with subdivision (a) of Section 19617.2
for distribution to the thoroughbred official registering agency.