Amended in Assembly June 2, 2014

Amended in Assembly August 5, 2013

Senate Bill No. 721

Introduced by Senator Padilla

February 22, 2013

An act to amend Sections begin delete 19412 end delete begin insert 19412, 19531.1, end insert and 19549.12 of, begin insert to add Section 19549.17 to, end insert and to repeal Section 19614.5 of, the Business and Professions Code, relating to horse racing.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 721, as amended, Padilla. Horse racing.

(1) Existing law, the Horse Racing Law, generally regulates horse racing and vests the administration and enforcement of the Horse Racing Law in the California Horse Racing Board. A violation of the begin delete act, end delete begin insert Horse Racing Law, end insert where no other penalty is expressed, is a misdemeanor. Existing law defines “proposition parimutuel pool” for purposes of those provisions as the total wagers under the parimutuel system on propositions approved by the board that are based on the results of a live quarter horse or harness horse race or races.

This bill would specify that a proposition parimutuel pool also includes the results of a live thoroughbred horse race or races.

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(2) Existing law authorizes the board to allocate racing weeks to licensed racing associations or fairs, and to specify the racing days, dates, and hours for horse racing meetings. Existing law divides the state into 3 geographical zones for purposes of horse racing, and prohibits the board from allocating racing dates to a private thoroughbred racing association in the central or southern zone if a fair racing association is conducting racing in the central zone on the same dates and if the fair is obligated to make payments on a capital expense loan incurred to improve its horse racing facilities.

end insert begin insert

This bill would instead prohibit the board from allocating racing dates to a thoroughbred racing association in the central or southern zones if a fair racing association is conducting racing in either zone on the same dates.

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(2)

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begin insert end insert begin insert (3) end insert  Existing law authorizes any county or district agricultural association fair conducting racing meetings for the first time on or after January 1, 1979, to retain the applicable state license fee for payment of a capital expense loan incurred for the purpose of preparing its facilities for horse racing.

This bill would repeal that authorization. Because this bill would expand the scope of a crime by removing an exception, it would create a state-mandated local program.

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(4) Existing law designates a list of fairs and their locations that are part of the network of California fairs, which includes the Los Angeles County Fair, held in the City of Pomona.

end insert begin insert

This bill would authorize the Los Angeles County Fair, subject to approval by the board, to conduct live racing meetings at another site within or outside of the County of Los Angeles in accordance with specified provisions.

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The

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begin insert (5) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert This end insert bill would also make conforming begin insert and nonsubstantive end insert changes.

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(3)

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begin insert (6) end insert  The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 19412 of the Business and Professions
Code is amended to read:

19412.  

(a) “Conventional parimutuel pool” means the total
wagers under the parimutuel system on any horse or horses in a
particular race to win, place, or show.

(b) “Exotic parimutuel pool” means the total wagers under the
parimutuel system on the finishing position of two or more horses
in a particular race, such as quinella or exacta wagers, or on horses
to win two or more races, such as daily double wagers, pick six
wagers, or on other wagers approved by the board.

(c) “Proposition parimutuel pool” means the total wagers under
the parimutuel system on propositions approved by the board that
are based on the results of a live thoroughbred horse, quarter horse,
or harness horse race or races.

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 19531.1 of the end insert begin insert Business and Professions Code end insert
begin insert is amended to read: end insert

19531.1.  

Notwithstanding any other begin delete provision of end delete law, the board
shall not allocate racing dates to a begin delete private end delete thoroughbred racing
association in the central or southern zone for the purpose of
conducting thoroughbred racing during daytime or nighttime hours
if a fair racing association is conducting racing in begin delete the central zone end delete
begin insert either zone end insert on the same begin delete dates and if that fair is obligated to make
payments on a capital expense loan incurred for the purpose of
improving its facilities for horse racing. end delete begin insert dates. end insert

begin delete SEC. 2. end delete
begin insert SEC. 3. end insert   

Section 19549.12 of the Business and Professions Code
is amended to read:

19549.12.  

Notwithstanding Sections 19482 and 19549, any
weeks of harness racing or quarter horse racing allocated by the
board to be raced at the facilities of a county fair that conducts its
racing meeting pursuant to Section 19549.3 may be conducted by
the fair.

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begin insert SEC. 4. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 19549.17 is added to the end insert begin insert Business and
Professions Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 19549.17. end insert   

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the board may
permit the Los Angeles County Fair to conduct live racing meetings
at another site within or outside the County of Los Angeles. Subject
to approval of the board, the Los Angeles County Fair may conduct
its racing dates at a facility operated by a thoroughbred racing
association licensed to conduct a racing meeting in the southern
zone.

(b) A racing meeting licensed to the fair pursuant to subdivision
(a) may be operated by the fair, or the fair may contract for the
operation and management of the racing meeting with an
individual racing association that was previously licensed to
conduct a racing meeting.

end insert

begin delete SEC. 3. end delete
begin insert SEC. 5. end insert   

Section 19614.5 of the Business and Professions Code
is repealed.

begin delete SEC. 4. end delete
begin insert SEC. 6. end insert   

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of
the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within
the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.