BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 3074
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 30, 2008

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mark Leno, Chair

           AB 3074 (Governmental Organization Committee) - As Introduced:   
                                   March 13, 2008 

          Policy Committee:                              Governmental  
          Organization Vote:                            11 - 0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY 

          This bill would authorize the California Horse Racing Board  
          (CHRB) to permit a California harness racing association to  
          accept wagers on the full card of races conducted by another  
          racing association on the date of the Kentucky Futurity.

           FISCAL EFFECT  


          Potential increase in state license fee revenues from increased  
          wagering opportunities. 


           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  . This bill will allow a harness racing association in  
            California to import all of the races conducted on Kentucky  
            Futurity day, irrespective of the six-race day limit. The  
            Kentucky Futurity is a stakes race for three-year-old  
            trotters, held annually at The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky  
            since 1893. It is part of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing  
            for Trotters.  

            The Governmental Organization Committee hopes that this will  
            give the California harness racing industry a marketing tool  
            to increase on-track and off-track attendance on that specific  
            day. This bill will also provide the industry with a mechanism  
            to increase track commissions, purses, breeder's awards, and  
            state license fees. 









                                                                  AB 3074
                                                                  Page  2

           2)Harness racing  is a form of horse-racing in which  
            standard-bred horses race in a specified gait, either trotting  
            or a faster gait called pacing. The jockey sits in a  
            two-wheeled cart pulled by the horse. In California, harness  
            racing is held exclusively at Cal Expo in Sacramento.  For  
            2008, the harness racing meets are scheduled from December 21,  
            2007 to July 31, 2008 and from September 10, 2008 to December  
            20, 2008. 

           3)Related Legislation  

            AB 2812 (Silva) of 2008, allows a harness and quarter horse  
            racing association to import not more than 8 races on live  
            racing days. That bill is also being heard today in this  
            committee.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081