Horse racing: parimutuel pool funds.

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 act, where no other penalty is expressed, is a misdemeanor. Existing law requires every association that conducts a racing meeting to deduct 15% of the total amount handled in conventional parimutuel pool and 16.75% of the total amount handled in exotic parimutuel pools and to distribute the moneys as specified. Existing law requires any fair racing association to additionally deduct 1% from the total amount handled in its daily conventional and exotic parimutuel pools, and provides for the deposit of the moneys in the Fair and Exposition Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, for expenditure for the construction or operation of recreational and cultural facilities of general public interest. This bill would instead require that the 1% deducted from the total amount handled in its daily conventional and exotic parimutuel pools be distributed to the fair that conducted the racing meeting and to the horsemen and horsewomen who participated in the racing meeting. The bill would specify that 50% of this amount, would be payable to the fair as commissions, and 50% to the horsemen and horsewomen as purses. Because a violation of these provisions would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.