Bill Text: NY A04955 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to the right to hold race meetings and races after sunset at Belmont Park, only at the main track in its current configuration, but only if such races conclude before 10:30 P.M. and only occur on Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - referred to racing and wagering [A04955 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A04955-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4955

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 9, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  SOLAGES,  WOERNER, VANEL, THIELE, MONTESANO,
          LAVINE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. M. MILLER --  read  once  and
          referred to the Committee on Racing and Wagering

        AN  ACT  to  amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in
          relation to the right to hold race meetings and races at Belmont Park;
          and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration there-
          of

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. Section 203 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breed-
     2  ing law, as amended by chapter 18 of the laws of  2008,  is  amended  to
     3  read as follows:
     4    §  203.  Right  to  hold race meetings and races.   1. Any corporation
     5  formed under the provisions of  this  article,  if  so  claimed  in  its
     6  certificate  of  organization,  and  if  it  shall  comply  with all the
     7  provisions of this article, and any other corporation  entitled  to  the
     8  benefits  and  privileges of this article as hereinafter provided, shall
     9  have the power and the right to hold one or more running  race  meetings
    10  in  each  year,  and to hold, maintain and conduct running races at such
    11  meetings. At such running race meetings the corporation, or  the  owners
    12  of  horses  engaged in such races, or others who are not participants in
    13  the race, may contribute  purses,  prizes,  premiums  or  stakes  to  be
    14  contested  for,  but no person or persons other than the owner or owners
    15  of a horse or horses contesting in  a  race  shall  have  any  pecuniary
    16  interest in a purse, prize, premium or stake contested for in such race,
    17  or  be  entitled  to  or  receive any portion thereof after such race is
    18  finished, and the whole of such purse, prize, premium or stake shall  be
    19  allotted in accordance with the terms and conditions of such race. Races
    20  conducted  by  a  franchised corporation shall be permitted only between
    21  sunrise and sunset.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD06298-01-1
        A. 4955                             2

     1    2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a fran-
     2  chised corporation shall be permitted to conduct races after  sunset  at
     3  the  Belmont  Park  racetrack,  only  on  the  main track in its current
     4  configuration, but only if such races  conclude  before  half  past  ten
     5  o'clock post meridian and only if such races occur on Thursdays, Fridays
     6  or Saturdays. The franchised corporation shall coordinate with a harness
     7  racing  association  or corporation authorized to operate in Westchester
     8  county to ensure that the starting times of all  such  races  are  stag-
     9  gered.
    10    3.  A track first licensed after January first, nineteen hundred nine-
    11  ty, shall not conduct the  simulcasting  of  thoroughbred  races  within
    12  district  one,  in  accordance  with article ten of this chapter on days
    13  that a franchised corporation is not conducting a race  meeting.  In  no
    14  event shall thoroughbred races conducted by a track first licensed after
    15  January  first, nineteen hundred ninety be conducted after eight o'clock
    16  post meridian.
    17    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
    18  deemed  repealed 4 years after the first night of racing conducted after
    19  sunset pursuant to this act; provided that the New York  Racing  Associ-
    20  ation  shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission of the date
    21  of such night of racing in order that the  commission  may  maintain  an
    22  accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws
    23  of  the  state of New York in furtherance of effecting the provisions of
    24  section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the  public  offi-
    25  cers law.