AB 1526 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Horse racing: audits of the horsemen's organizations: license fee deposits: minisatellite wagering facilities.

Summary

Existing law requires an annual audit of the financial books and records of the horsemen's organizations, with respect to pension funds received by the organizations pursuant to specified laws, to be conducted by a nationally recognized accounting firm within 90 days of the close of the fund's business year. This bill would eliminate the 90-day time limit on conducting the annual audit and would authorize the California Horse Racing Board to permit exceptions to the audit requirement. The Horse Racing Law requires each application for a license to conduct a horse racing meeting to be accompanied by a deposit to secure the payment of any license fee imposed pursuant to specified provisions of that law, in the form of a certified check payable to the Treasurer of the State of California, in the amount of $10,000. Under the Horse Racing Law, a person engaged in the conduct of a recognized horse race meeting is required to pay a separate license fee imposed under other provisions of the Horse Racing Law in lieu of the license fee subject to that deposit requirement. This bill would eliminate this deposit requirement and would make other conforming changes. Existing law authorizes the board to approve minisatellite wagering sites, as defined, under specified conditions. Existing law requires an organization formed by associations or fairs to operate the audiovisual signal system to execute a specified agreement with the association conducting a racing meeting and the minisatellite wagering facility that specifies, among other things, the components of its racing program, including live, out-of-zone, out-of-state, and out-of-country races, that an association or fair will make available to the site. This bill would explicitly require the agreement to specify which live in-state races would be provided by the association or fair to the site. The bill would also make nonsubstantive changes, including deleting obsolete language.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Jun 2026

Assembly Passage

May 2025

Senate Passage

Aug 2026

Governor

Introduced Mar 18, 2025 Last action Aug 28, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

08/18/26 - Amended Senate → AB1526 · 1 edit

MINOR

No substantive policy changes occurred between these two versions of AB 1526. The diff reflects a reformatting of the bill text from a traditional printed legislative document layout (with line numbers, page numbers, and centered headers) into a web-based presentation format with navigation elements. All statutory sections, the legislative counsel's digest, and the bill's operative language remain identical.

TECHNICAL

The bill text was reformatted from a traditional printed document style (with line numbers, page markers like '97', and centered section headers) into a web page layout with navigation links (skip to content, home, accessibility, FAQ, feedback, sitemap, login), a quick search box, version tracking metadata, and a publication date stamp.

06/02/26 - Amended Senate → 08/18/26 - Amended Senate · 5 edits · Aug 18, 2026

MODERATE

The August 18 Senate amendment significantly expands AB 1526 by adding provisions to eliminate the $10,000 license fee deposit requirement for horse racing meeting applications (repealing Sections 19490, 19493, and 19547 of the Business and Professions Code) and making conforming changes to Sections 19480 and 19488. The bill also modifies the audit timeline for pension funds from a strict 90-day deadline to an annual requirement with board permission for exceptions. The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' reflecting the new revenue implications of eliminating the deposit.

Scope change

The bill's scope expands from two code sections (audit requirements and minisatellite wagering) to seven sections, adding an entirely new policy area: elimination of the license fee deposit requirement for horse racing meeting applications.

SCOPE

The bill now amends Sections 19480 and 19488 and repeals Sections 19490, 19493, and 19547 of the Business and Professions Code, expanding its reach beyond the original two sections (19440.5 and 19605.25).

REQUIREMENT

Eliminates the requirement that each application for a horse racing meeting license be accompanied by a $10,000 certified check deposit payable to the State Treasurer (former Section 19490), along with the related provisions governing return of the deposit after the meeting (former Section 19493) and the exemption for fairs from that deposit (former Section 19547).

Section 19480 is amended to conform to the elimination of the deposit, and Section 19488 gains a new subdivision (b) requiring the license to recite payment and receipt of the deposit by the board.

TIMELINE

The audit deadline for pension funds under Section 19440.5(a) is changed from 'within 90 days of the close of the fund's business year' to simply 'annually,' giving horsemen's organizations more flexibility in timing while still requiring an annual audit.

FISCAL

The fiscal committee designation changes from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now has state fiscal impact, likely because eliminating the $10,000 deposit removes a source of state revenue.

03/18/25 - Introduced → 06/02/26 - Amended Senate · 4 edits · Jun 2, 2026

MODERATE

The Senate amendment significantly expands the bill's scope by adding a new provision amending Section 19440.5 of the Business and Professions Code, which allows the California Horse Racing Board to grant exceptions to the 90-day deadline for auditing horsemen's organization pension funds. The original minisatellite wagering provisions are retained with cleanup of obsolete language (including removal of a January 2013 sunset provision). The fiscal committee designation was changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now requires fiscal impact review.

Scope change

Expanded from solely addressing minisatellite wagering facility regulations to also covering audit requirements and deadlines for horsemen's organization financial records, specifically pension fund audits under Section 19440.5.

REQUIREMENT

New Section 1 amends Section 19440.5 to allow the California Horse Racing Board to permit exceptions to the 90-day deadline for auditing pension funds of horsemen's organizations. The audit must still be conducted annually and cover the period since the last audit, but the board can now authorize a longer timeframe. Administrative and welfare fund audits remain subject to the strict 90-day requirement.

TIMELINE

Deleted obsolete subdivision (c) that contained language 'Until January 1, 2013' regarding consent requirements for minisatellite wagering sites in northern zone fair districts. This provision had already expired and was no longer operative.

FISCAL

The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' meaning the bill now requires review by the legislative fiscal committee, likely due to the new audit-related provisions potentially having budgetary implications for horsemen's organizations.

TECHNICAL

Various nonsubstantive cleanups: corrected 'California Horse Racing Board board' to 'board,' fixed 'terms and condition conditions' to 'terms and conditions,' removed 'those' before 'persons who are at least 21 years of age,' and renumbered sections (original Section 1 became Section 2).

Floor votes · Senate Aug 27, 2026 · Assembly May 1, 2025

How they voted

40–0

Passed

Total votes 40

Aug 27, 2026

D Democratic30

30 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican10

10 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0.).

lower

Aug 27, 2026

Introduced

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

lower

Aug 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.).

upper

Aug 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

upper

Jun 15, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

upper

Jun 3, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Joint Rule 10.5.

upper

Jun 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

upper

Jul 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 8).

upper

May 14, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on G.O.

upper

May 1, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 1388.)

lower

Apr 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 22. Noes 0.) (April 23).

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on G.O.

lower

Mar 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee April 18.

lower

0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors