BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2048
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 16, 2008
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Alberto Torrico, Chairman
AB 2048 (Silva) - As Amended: April 9, 2008
SUBJECT : Horse racing: harness or quarter horse races:
out-of-state or out-of-country.
SUMMARY : Increases the amount of races a harness and quarter
horse racing association may import on live racing days from 6
to 8 races. Specifically, this bill :
1)Increases the amount of races a harness and quarter horse
racing association may import (out-of-state or out-of-country)
on live racing days from six to eight races.
2)Provides the harness or quarter horse association shall get
approval from the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) and the
horsemen's organization contracting with the association, as
specified.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Provides that the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB)
regulate the various forms of horse racing authorized in this
state.
2)Authorizes a licensed harness racing association that is
conducting a live racing meeting in this state to accept
wagers on the full card of races conducted by another racing
association on the day that other association conducts the
Breeder's Crown Stakes, the Meadowlands Pace, the
Hambletonian, or the North American Cup.
3)Authorizes a licensed quarter horse racing association that is
conducting a live racing meeting in this state to accept
wagers on races conducted by the racing association that
conducts the American Quarter Horse Racing Challenge, if the
races are conducted on the same day as the American Quarter
Horse Racing Challenge.
4)Provides CHRB is authorized to permit a harness or quarter
horse association conducting a race meeting to accept wagers
on the results of out-of-state, out-of-country, and sometimes
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other harness or quarter horse races, if specified conditions
are met, including that the association conducts at least 7
live races and imports not more than 6 races on live racing
days, as specified.
5)Authorizes the inclusion of wagers in the pari-mutuel pools of
the out-of-state association that conducts the races on which
the wagers are placed.
6)Authorizes thoroughbred racing associations or fairs to
distribute the audiovisual signal and accept wagers on the
results of certain out-of-state and international thoroughbred
races during the calendar period the association or fair is
conducting live racing, including days on which there is no
live racing being conducted by the association or fair.
7)Limits the number of races that may be imported by
associations and fairs to no more than 23 races per day on
days when live thoroughbred or fair racing is being conducted
in this state, with specified exceptions.
8)Exempts from that 23-race per day limit races imported that
are part of the race card of certain prominent races,
including the Kentucky Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, the Preakness
Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the
Breeders' Cup, or the Haskell Invitational.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
COMMENTS :
The sponsor of this bill, Los Alamitos Quarter Racing
Association believes that revenues derived from this bill will
help to support the breeding, owning and racing of California
harness and Quarter Horses and supplement the existing breeding
incentive programs.
Under present law, there is a limit on the number of imported
races that can be simulcast for wagering purposes by licensed
harness and Quarter Horse racing associations. This bill, if
enacted, would allow a harness or Quarter Horse racing
association to increases the amount of races each association
may import on live racing days from six to eight races. These
additional races will give more flexibility in scheduling
simulcast races, while not exceeding the cap on the number or
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simulcast races statutorily permitted to take place each year.
In the late 1990's, California racetracks began importing
additional races from out-of-state locations to provide
California's horse racing patrons with the opportunity to wager
on quality races offered by racetracks throughout the country.
Since the introduction of this practice (which, incidentally is
authorized in many other states that likewise allow pari-mutuel
wagering on horse races), wagering on these out-of-state races
has been well received by the betting patron, as
evidenced by modest increases in overall wagering activity.
This has also helped the industry offset a continued reduction
in on-track wagering activity.
Related legislation . AB 3074 (Governmental Organization
Committee ) of 2008, authorizes the CHRB to permit a California
harness racing association conducting a live racing meeting to
accept wagers on the full card of races conducted by another
racing association on the day that other association conducts
the Kentucky Futurity. (In Assembly G.O. Committee)
Prior legislation . AB 1736 (Assembly Committee on Governmental
Organization), Chapter 444, Statutes of 2007. adds the
"Travers Stakes" to the group of specific stake races which are
exempt from the 23-race per day limit on imported races, as
specified.
SB 379 (Denham), Chapter 443, Statutes of 2007, adds the Dubai
World Cup race to a specified list of races that would be
exempted from the 23 race per day limit on imported races for
satellite wagering in California.
SB 2035 (Karnette), Chapter 268, Statutes of 2002, allows a
harness or Quarter Horse racing association to "bank" up to two
out-of-state or out-of-county imported races on a specific race
day, and then add those races to another race day's importation
schedule.
SB 590 (Perata), Chapter 936, Statutes of 2001, authorized
thoroughbred racing associations and fairs in the northern
racing zone to increase the number of imported racing simulcasts
available to be wagered upon if the CHRB reduces the number of
live racing days.
SB 1183 (Margett), Chapter 232, Statutes of 2004. authorizes a
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harness racing association that is conducting a live race
meeting to accept wagers on the full card of races conducted by
another racing association on the day the other racing
association conducts the Breeder's Crown Stakes, the Meadowlands
Pace, the Hambletonian or the North American Cup.
AB 509 (J. Horton), Chapter 235, Statutes of 2004, allows a
thoroughbred or fair association to distribute the audiovisual
signal and accept wagers on the results of out-of-country
thoroughbred races during the calendar period the association or
fair is conducting a race meeting under specified conditions.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Los Alamitos Race Course
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Eric Johnson / G. O. / (916) 319-2531