authorizing municipalities to hold a referendum on whether to allow historic horse racing.

HB 247 allows municipalities to hold referendums on whether to permit historic horse racing betting. It directly affects local governments (which can vote on the issue) and licensed racing entities (which can operate without referendum approval in areas that haven’t voted). The bill’s key provision modifies state law to permit existing license holders to operate and renew licenses in municipalities that haven’t approved such betting, while requiring new licenses for facilities in areas without prior approval. This creates a two-tier system: current operators can continue in unapproved areas, but new operators must secure local referendum approval first. The bill focuses on procedural changes to licensing, not on expanding or restricting the activity itself.