BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1792
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          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 1792 (Silva)
          As Amended  June 22, 2010
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |76-0 |(May 13, 2010)  |SENATE: |33-0 |(August 5,     |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2010)          |
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           Original Committee Reference:    G.O.  

           SUMMARY  :  Increases the amount from 2.5% to 3% that the official  
          registering agency for Quarter Horses receives for breeders'  
          awards in California.  The increased amount will be paid from  
          license fees which are no longer paid to the General Fund (SB 16  
          X2 (Ashburn), Chapter 12, Statutes of 2009-10 Second  
          Extraordinary Session).  Specifically,  this bill  increases to 3%  
          the amount of the license fee reduction for Quarter Horse racing  
          that is to be deposited with the official registering agency for  
          distribution.

           The Senate amendments  make technical and clarifying amendments  
          to the bill.

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)Provides that California Horse Racing Board (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)Provides that, notwithstanding any other law and in lieu of  
            any license fee payable to the state prescribed for or  
            referred to in specified provisions of the Horse Racing Law,  
            any association or fair that conducts a racing meeting shall  
            pay its proportional amount, as determined by the formula  
            devised by the CHRB in consultation with the industry, as a  
            license fee to the state to fund the board and the equine drug  
            testing program, as provided. 

          4)Provides that the license fee reductions resulting from these  








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            provisions, after payments to fund the board and the equine  
            drug testing program, shall be distributed as specified for  
            Thoroughbred racing, Quarter Horse racing, harness racing, and  
            all other breeds.  For Quarter Horse racing, 2.5% of the  
            amount of the reduction is required to be deposited with the  
            official registering agency and distributed as provided.

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill is consistent with Assembly  
          actions.
           
          FISCAL EFFECT  :   According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee, because SB 16 X2 eliminated licensing fees and  
          revised the state's laws surrounding funding for CHRB this bill  
          will have no impact on the funding that is available for CHRB  
          and the Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory  
          at the University of California, Davis. Instead, the change in  
          the amount from 2.5% to 3% merely shifts funding from purses and  
          commissions to California breeders' awards.


           Purpose of the bill  :  According to the sponsor, the Pacific  
          Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association (PCQHRA), this bill is  
          necessary to address a specific section of current law chaptered  
          in 2010 (SB 16 X2) dealing with incentives for Cal-bred Quarter  
          Horses.  

          SB16 X2 shifted the horse racing industry's obligation ($40  
          million) to fund state and county fairs from licensing fees,  
          paid by the associations or fairs while operating live race  
          meets into the General Fund.  One component of the bill required  
          that a specific percentage of the license fee reduction  
          (resulting from the General Fund assuming the fair funding  
          obligation) be distributed to the official registering agencies  
          for the specific breeds of horses which race in California.  

          Currently, 2.5% is set aside for the Quarter Horse registering  
          agency, the PCQHRA.  This measure seeks to increase the amount  
          from 2.5% to 3%.  The 3% will conform to the amount of money  
          which is paid to the Thoroughbred breeders' organization for the  
          same license fee reduction in 2009.  The increased deposit will  
          help to incentivize breeding and racing of Quarter Horses within  
          California.  This measure has no financial relationship to the  
          General Fund.

           Prior legislation  :  SB 16 X2 provides, among other things, that  








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          beginning on July 1, 2009, and annually thereafter, $32 million  
          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.  

           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Eric Johnson / G. O. / (916) 319-2531


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