BILL ANALYSIS
AB 136
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 1, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Curren Price, Chairman
AB 136 (Silva) - As Amended: March 23, 2009
SUBJECT : Horse racing: harness racing: imported harness or
quarter horse races.
SUMMARY : Allows the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to
allocate 52 weeks of harness racing in the northern zone, at one
or more racetracks or fairs. In addition, the bill deletes the
limitation regarding the total number of harness or quarter
horse races, which may be imported in a calendar year by a
Quarter Horse or harness racing association. Specifically, this
bill :
1)Authorizes the board to allocate 52 weeks of harness racing in
the northern zone, at one or more racetracks or fairs. The
bill further provides that any provision of the Horse Racing
Law that pertains to harness racing at the California
Exposition and State Fair in Sacramento shall also apply to
harness racing, which is conducted at any other racing venue
in the northern zone.
2)Deletes that limitation regarding the total number of harness
or quarter horse races imported in a calendar year.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Provides that CHRB regulate the various forms of horse racing
authorized in this state.
2)Provides that the CHRB shall have the authority to allocate
racing weeks and provides that the maximum number of racing
weeks that may be allocated for harness racing, other than at
fairs, in the northern zone is 25 weeks per year.
3)Provides that the maximum number of racing weeks that may be
allocated to a fair shall be 4 weeks each year, except as
provided, including that the board may allocate additional
weeks of harness racing to the California Exposition and State
Fair in Sacramento or its lessee, to be raced at that fair.
4)Provides CHRB is authorized to permit a harness or quarter
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horse association conducting a race meeting to accept wagers
on the results of up to eight (8) out-of-state or
out-of-country harness or quarter horse races per day, if
specified conditions are met. If only one breed is being
raced on a given day, the racing association conducting live
racing may import those races that would otherwise be
simulcast by the association that is not racing, as specified.
5)Provides the total number of harness or quarter horse races
imported in a calendar year may not exceed the number of night
races imported in 1998 after 5:30 p.m.
6)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.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
The author is carrying this bill to ensure that harness racing
continues to be run in California for years and generations to
come while taking into consideration the current proposal for an
NBA arena at the California Exposition and State Fair (Cal Expo)
in Sacramento which would eliminate the racetrack where racing
is conducted. Cal Expo has been the site of harness racing
meetings since the early 1970s. Currently, Cal Expo is the sole
operator of live harness racing in California.
If harness racing were to cease operations in the state more
than 500 horsemen - including about 100 who live on track -
would find themselves without a place to work. The author notes
that it is vital to the interests of the harness racing industry
to continue racing in California on a year-round basis. The
author believes this bill will ensure that harness horsemen will
have less uncertainty in the years to come relating to where
they might race and who might operate the meet. The author
states this bill is essential to the long-term stability of the
harness racing industry in California.
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The sponsor of this bill, the California Harness Horsemen's
Association, notes this bill is critical to the harness horsemen
and horsewomen and their families. This bill will alleviate
uncertainty in the racing schedule, save jobs, and make it less
likely that these hard working people will be faced with the
unknown relating to where they will race or be forced to take an
extended vacation because there are gaps in the annual racing
schedule. It has been reported that officials from the
California Harness Horsemen's Association have had talks with
representatives from The Big Fresno Fair and the San Joaquin
County Fair about the potential of operating a race meet at
either one or both of those facilities at some time in the
racing calendar.
A second provision of this bill deals with language which
inadvertently should have been deleted in AB 2048 (Silva) of
2008, Chapter 439, Statutes of 2008. That bill allowed a
harness and Quarter Horse racing association to import an
additional two races (6 to 8) on live racing days from
out-of-state and out-of-country locations. This bill will
codify existing law pertaining to the current limitation
regarding the total number of harness or quarter horse races
imported in a calendar year. By deleting this provision, the
full intent of AB 2048 (Silva) will be realized.
Prior legislation .
AB 2048 (Silva) of 2008, Chapter 439, Statutes of 2008, allowed
a harness and Quarter Horse racing association to import not
more than eight races on live racing days.
AB 834 (Jones), Chapter 119, Statutes of 2005. Authorized the
CHRB to allocate additional weeks of harness racing to the
California Exposition and State Fair (Cal Expo) to be raced at
and operated by the fair. Permits harness racing results to be
included in proposition pari-mutuel pool wagers.
SB 1183 (Margett), Chapter 232, Statutes of 2004, authorizes a
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.
SB 2035 (Karnette), Chapter 268, Statutes of 2002, allows a
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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.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Harness Horsemen
Los Alamitos Race Course (sponsor)
Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association
Opposition
California Coalition Against Gambling Expansion
Analysis Prepared by : Eric Johnson / G. O. / (916) 319-2531