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 Horse Racing Law, 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.
(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.
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.
(3) 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.
(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.
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.
(5) This bill would also make conforming and nonsubstantive changes.
(6) 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.
begin insert(7) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
end insertVote: begin deletemajority end deletebegin insert2⁄3end insert.
Appropriation: no.
Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 19412 of the Business and Professions
2Code is amended to read:
(a) “Conventional parimutuel pool” means the total
2wagers under the parimutuel system on any horse or horses in a
3particular race to win, place, or show.
4(b) “Exotic parimutuel pool” means the total wagers under the
5parimutuel system on the finishing position of two or more horses
6in a particular race, such as quinella or exacta wagers, or on horses
7to win two or more races, such as daily double wagers, pick six
8wagers, or on other wagers approved by the board.
9(c) “Proposition parimutuel pool” means the total wagers under
10the parimutuel system on propositions approved by the board that
11are
based on the results of a live thoroughbred horse, quarter horse,
12
or harness horse race or races.
Section 19531.1 of the Business and Professions Code
14 is amended to read:
Notwithstanding any other law, the board shall not
16allocate racing dates to a thoroughbred racing association in the
17central or southern zone for the purpose of conducting
18thoroughbred racing during daytime or nighttime hours if a fair
19racing association is conducting racing in
either zone on the same
20dates.
Section 19549.12 of the Business and Professions
22Code is amended to read:
Notwithstanding Sections 19482 and 19549, any
24weeks of harness racing or quarter horse racing allocated by the
25board to be raced at the facilities of a county fair that conducts its
26racing meeting pursuant to Section 19549.3 may be conducted by
27the fair.
Section 19549.17 is added to the Business and
29Professions Code, to read:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the board may
31permit the Los Angeles County Fair to conduct live racing meetings
32at another site within or outside the County of Los Angeles. Subject
33to approval of the board, the Los Angeles County Fair may conduct
34its racing dates at a facility operated by a thoroughbred racing
35association licensed to conduct a racing meeting in the southern
36zone.
37(b) A racing meeting licensed to the fair pursuant to subdivision
38(a) may be operated by the fair, or the fair may contract for the
39operation and management of the racing meeting with an individual
P4 1racing association that was previously licensed to conduct a racing
2
meeting.
Section 19614.5 of the Business and Professions Code
4 is repealed.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
6Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
7the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
8district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
9infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
10for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of
11the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within
12the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
13Constitution.
This act is an urgency statute necessary for the
15immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within
16the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into
17immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
18In order to ensure the continued viability of the horse racing
19industry in the state and to ensure the changes proposed by this
20act are implemented for horse races in September of this year, it
21is necessary for this act to take effect immediately.
O
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