Senate GO Committee Summary

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (June 30, 2005) -- The final meeting of the Senate GO Committee was held on June 28th and below is a summary of the actions taken along with comments on each bill. The bills that passed will now go either to Senate Appropriations Committee or directly to the Senate Floor for action. 

COMMITTEE HEARING SCHEDULE DATE: 06/28/2005, Tue
Senate Governmental Organization Committee
8:30 am	Room 3191

CA AB 203	AUTHOR:	Harman (R)
	TITLE:	Horse Racing
	LAST AMEND:	06/23/2005
	SUMMARY:
	Makes technical changes to the Horse Racing Law. Defines the term handle to mean aggregate contributions to parimutuel pools. Requires a copy of any annual audit of a horsemen's organization be provided to the Senate and Assembly committees on Governmental Organization. Exempts payment by a licensed quarter horse racing association in the southern zone from existing law prohibiting certain unauthorized payments of purses or consideration to or for the benefit of horsemen.
	PRIVATE FILE:	Horseracing
	NOTES:	This bill was on consent and is technical. It allows Quarter Horse racing associations to supplement purses and requires the audit of horsemen’s organizations to be provided to the Senate and Assembly GO committees.

CA AB 449	AUTHOR:	Plescia (R)
	TITLE:	Horse Racing
	LAST AMEND:	06/23/2005
	SUMMARY:
	Amends existing law that provides for the deduction of a portion of the proceeds of horse races as purses for the benefit of horsemen and horsewomen at the racing meeting, and provides for specific deductions from this portion for the benefit of owners' and trainers' organizations, administrative expenses, and for other purposes. Maintains the definition of trainer to mean a person currently licensed by the board as a trainer.
	PRIVATE FILE:	Horseracing
	NOTES:	This bill was also on consent. It extends the sunset provisions from AB 2619 ‘'til January 1 2007. CTT and TOC will work together to develop a long term solution.

CA AB 480	AUTHOR:	Plescia (R)
	TITLE:	Horse Racing: Advance Deposit Wagering
	SUMMARY:
	Provides that in the event of a reduction in satellite wagering facility commissions, the benefits would then be distributed equally as purses and commissions to all associations and racing fairs that generate advance deposit wagers, in proportion to the handle generated.
	PRIVATE FILE:	Horseracing
	COMMENTARY:	On consent

CA AB 937	AUTHOR:	Wyland (R)
	TITLE:	Horse Racing: Reimbursements
	SUMMARY:
	Provides that in the event a racing association or fair is required to reimburse an audiovisual signal system organization for certain expenses, 1/2 of that reimbursement may be offset against the amount distributed as purses.
	PRIVATE FILE:	Horseracing
	COMMENTARY:	This bill was supposed to have been put over, however due to an error, it passed along with the other bills that were on the consent file. TOC and DMTC had agreed to make it a two year bill. It will now more than likely be held in the Senate.

CA AB 1180	AUTHOR:	Torrico (D)
	TITLE:	Horse Racing: Jockeys
	LAST AMEND:	06/22/2005
	SUMMARY:
	Provides that a jockey who agrees to exercise a racehorse shall be paid no less than the standard rate paid to exercise riders, unless the jockey has been employed to ride that horse in a parimutuel race or is engaged in an official timed and recorded workout. Precludes horse from being ridden at a racetrack unless the rider and horse are equipped with specified safety equipment. Requires every association to maintain specified equipment and staff for an on-track first aid facility.
	PRIVATE FILE:	Horseracing
	NOTES:	Passed out of committee on an 8 to 1 vote. It was amended to exempt Los Alamitos from the requirement to have a doctor at the racetrack, due to its proximity to a hospital.

CA AB 1752	AUTHOR:	Levine (D)
	TITLE:	Horse Racing
	LAST AMEND:	06/13/2005
	SUMMARY:
	Requires the California Horse Racing Board to promulgate and adopt regulations regarding conflicts of interest and develop a code of ethics.
	PRIVATE FILE:	Horseracing
	COMMENTARY:	This bill passed out of committee on a 8 to  2 vote. It was opposed by the CHRB and staff made a presentation outlining their concerns. The opposition wasn’t expressed until the last minute and the committee voted to pass it in spite of the concerns raised by the CHRB.