BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   AB 136|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 136
          Author:   Silva (R)
          Amended:  8/17/09 in Senate
          Vote:     27 - Urgency

           
           SENATE GOVERNMENTAL ORG. COMMITTEE  :  9-0, 6/23/09
          AYES:  Wright, Harman, Benoit, Denham, Negrete McLeod,  
            Oropeza, Padilla, Price, Wiggins
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Calderon, Florez, Wyland, Yee

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  Senate Rule 28.8

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  72-0, 5/14/09 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    Horse racing:  cloned horses:  imported harness  
          or quarter 
                        horse races

           SOURCE  :     Los Alamitos Race Course


           DIGEST  :    This bill deletes the limitation on the total  
          number of out-of-state or out-of-country harness or quarter  
          horse races that may be imported in a calendar year by a  
          harness or quarter horse racing association.

           Senate Floor Amendments  of 8/17/09 delete language that  
          prohibited the racing of cloned horses or the offspring of  
          cloned horses.

           ANALYSIS  :    
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                                                                AB 136
                                                                Page  
          2


          Existing law:

          1. Provides that the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB)  
             regulate the various forms of horse racing authorized in  
             this state.

          2. Provides CHRB is authorized to permit a harness or  
             quarter horse association conducting a race meeting to  
             accept wagers on the results of up to eight 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.

          3. 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.

          4. 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.

          5. 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.

          6. Recognizes the Jockey Club of New York as the official  
             registering agency for Thoroughbred horses.

           Comments
           
          According to the author's office, "by allowing race tracks  
          to increase the number of harness or quarter horse races on  
          which they can provide satellite wagering, this bill makes  
          up, in part, for the closing of Bay Meadows.  Current law  

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                                                                AB 136
                                                                Page  
          3

          allows harness and quarter horse racing associations and  
          fairs to offer wagering on eight harness or quarter horse  
          races broadcast by satellite on each day live races are  
          being run.  Los Alamitos Race Course and Sacramento/Cal  
          Expo are the only racetracks that conduct harness racing  
          and quarter horse racing meets.  By providing for the  
          importation of additional out-of-state and out-of-country  
          races, this bill authorizes additional wagering.  

          AB 2048 (Silva), Chapter 439, Statutes of 2009, increased  
          by two (from six to eight) the number of races that a  
          harness and quarter horse racing association could import  
          on live racing days from out-of-state and out-of-country  
          locations.  Under current law, however, there is a  
          limitation on the total number of races that can be  
          imported, annually, which prohibits harness and quarter  
          horse racing from taking advantage of the additional two  
          races per day allowed in AB 2048.  By removing that annual  
          limitation this bill is intended to allow the intent of AB  
          2048 to be fully implemented.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  Yes

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  8/18/09)

          Los Alamitos Race Course (source)
          California Harness Horsemen
          Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association
          Thoroughbred Owners of California

           OPPOSITION  :    (Verified  8/18/09)

          California Coalition Against Gambling Expansion

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  : 
          AYES:  Adams, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill Berryhill,  
            Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Brownley,  
            Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro,  
            Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore,  
            Duvall, Emmerson, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuller,  
            Furutani, Galgiani, Garrick, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall,  
            Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman,  
            Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie  

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                                                                AB 136
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          4

            Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande,  
            Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel Perez,  
            Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Silva, Skinner,  
            Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres,  
            Torrico, Tran, Villines
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Ammiano, Eng, Fuentes, Gaines, Saldana,  
            Smyth, Yamada, Bass


          TSM:do  8/27/09   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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