Bill Text: CA SB721 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Horse racing.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-06-25 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 50, Statutes of 2014. [SB721 Detail]
Download: California-2013-SB721-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 721 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 50
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JUNE 25, 2014
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR JUNE 25, 2014
PASSED THE SENATE JUNE 19, 2014
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY JUNE 16, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 9, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 2, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 5, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Senator Padilla
FEBRUARY 22, 2013
An act to amend Sections 19412, 19531.1, and 19549.12 of, to add
Section 19549.17 to, and to repeal Section 19614.5 of, the Business
and Professions Code, relating to horse racing, and declaring the
urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 721, 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.
(7) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately
as an urgency statute.
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.
SEC. 2. Section 19531.1 of the Business and Professions Code is
amended to read:
19531.1. Notwithstanding any other law, the board shall not
allocate racing dates to a 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 either zone on the same dates.
SEC. 3. 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.
SEC. 4. Section 19549.17 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
19549.17. (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.
SEC. 5. Section 19614.5 of the Business and Professions Code is
repealed.
SEC. 6. 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.
SEC. 7. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the
meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate
effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
In order to ensure the continued viability of the horse racing
industry in the state and to ensure the changes proposed by this act
are implemented for horse races in September of this year, it is
necessary for this act to take effect immediately.
