BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1575
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Date of Hearing: April 30, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Curren Price, Chairman
AB 1575 (Committee on Governmental Organization) - As
Introduced: March 23, 2009
SUBJECT : Horse racing officials: stewards, outriders, and
official veterinarians.
SUMMARY : Makes numerous technical, clarifying, and conforming
changes in order to update and condense where possible, current
horse racing statutes found in the Business and Professions
Code. Specifically, this bill :
1)Includes outriders in the definition of racing officials thus
requiring them to be licensed, as specified.
2)Provides that oral examinations for stewards shall be
conducted by a panel of not less than 3 members of the board,
while oral examinations for official veterinarians shall be
conducted by a panel of not less than one member of the board,
the equine medical director, and the executive director of the
CHRB.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Provides that CHRB regulate the various forms of horse racing
authorized in this state.
2)Provides under the Horse Racing Law, for the operation of live
horse racing in this state and for wagering thereon, and for
the operation of satellite wagering facilities, subject to
regulation and oversight by the CHRB, as specified.
3)Defines "racing official" as the starter, timer, paddock
judge, horseshoe inspector, horse identifier, official
veterinarian, racing veterinarian, associate judge, placing
judge, patrol judge, clerk of scales, clerk of the course, and
any other person acting as an official at any horse racing
meeting.
4)Provides that every steward and racing official shall be
licensed and subject to both written and oral examinations, as
specified. "Racing official" is defined to include official
AB 1575
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veterinarians. In general, persons who participate in a horse
race without proper licensure are guilty of a misdemeanor.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
AB 1575 is a Committee on Governmental Organization bill that
makes numerous technical, clarifying, and conforming changes in
order to update and condense where possible, current horse
racing statutes found in the Business and Professions Code
(Section 19400 et seq.). The bill also takes into consideration
current practices and procedures of the CHRB to ensure
protection of the wagering public while providing uniformity of
regulation for each type of horse racing conducted in
California.
The language contained is this bill was put forth by the CHRB.
Under current law, a person who works in the barn area or on the
racetrack must be licensed by the CHRB. A racing official is
generally described as a person who has contact and/or
interaction with the Board of Stewards on racing matters. Since
an outrider maintains close contact and takes direction from the
stewards via a hand held radio each day, these individuals
should be treated as an official for purposes of licensure.
The bill also contains language relating to oral examinations
for stewards and official veterinarians. The stated amendment
will ensure that appropriate representatives from the CHRB
participate in oral examinations for specified positions.
Additionally, SBX2 16 (Ashburn), Chapter 12, Statutes of 2009-10
Second Extraordinary Session, shifted the horse racing
industry's obligation to fund the network of California Fairs
from license fees imposed on horse racing wagers to the General
Fund (GF). The bill provided various measures of economic
stimulus for the horse racing industry. The bill also contained
numerous technical, clarifying and conforming changes to horse
racing codes, which might need to be clarified and/or
streamlined in this bill.
AB 1575 is a working document, and will be further amended as it
makes its way through the Legislature but only if all parties
involved in the horse racing industry concur with the changes.
AB 1575
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Related legislation . AB 840 (Garrick), 2009-2010 Legislative
Session. Makes a technical change to the intent section of
Horse Racing Law to specify that it is the intent to of the law
to allow pari-mutuel wagering on horse races while ensuring the
protection of the public. Pending in Assembly Rules Committee.
Prior legislation . SB 16 X2 (Ashburn), Chapter 12, Statutes of
2009-10 Second Extraordinary Session. Among other things,
provides that beginning on July 1, 2009, and annually
thereafter, thirty-two million ($32,000,000) shall be
appropriated from the state's General Fund and paid into the
Fair and Exposition Fund for the financial support of the
network of California fairs.
SB 2054 (Senate Governmental Organization Committee), Chapter
1082, Statutes of 2000. amend the Horse Racing Law by deleting
obsolete provisions, correcting erroneous and outdated
cross-references, and making numerous other technical,
nonsubstantive changes.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Eric Johnson / G. O. / (916) 319-2531