Horse racing: northern zone: fairs: satellite wagering.

(1) Existing law, the Horse Racing Law, notwithstanding any other law, authorizes fairs that conduct live horse racing meetings in the northern zone to allow a joint powers authority to administer and distribute purses and authorizes the California Horse Racing Board to annually allocate a maximum of 28 racing days to any county fair in the northern zone which did not conduct horse racing prior to January 1, 1985. This bill would authorize the board, notwithstanding any other law, to allocate racing days to a fair in the northern zone to be conducted by the fair or, at the request of the fair, to authorize the board to license a racing association that was licensed by the board to conduct racing meetings in California prior to 2010 to conduct live horse racing at the fair during the dates allocated to the fair by the board. The bill would require the live horse racing days, whether they are conducted by the fair or the racing association contracting with the fair, to be subject to the same provisions of law as are presently applicable to a fair race meeting in the northern zone. (2) The Horse Racing Law requires the total percentage deducted from wagers at satellite wagering facilities in the northern zone to be the same as deductions for wagers at the racetrack where the racing meeting is being conducted and to be distributed as specified. That law also requires an additional amount not to exceed 4% of the amount handled by the satellite wagering facility on conventional and exotic wagers to be distributed to the organization formed to operate the audiovisual signal system with the mutual consent of the racing association, the organization representing the horsemen participating in the meeting, and the board from January 1, 2010, until December 31, 2013. That law also requires, commencing January 1, 2014, an amount not to exceed the amount of actual operating expenses, as determined by the board, or 2.5% of the amount handled by the satellite wagering facility on conventional and exotic wagers, whichever is less, to be distributed to the organization formed to operate the audiovisual signal system. This bill would extend these dates to December 31, 2016, and January 1, 2017, respectively. A violation of the Horse Racing Law is generally a misdemeanor. Because the bill would change the definition of an existing crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) 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. (4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.