Bill Text: FL S1794 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Harness Horse Racing
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2022-03-14 - Died in Regulated Industries [S1794 Detail]
Download: Florida-2022-S1794-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1794
By Senator Jones
35-01299A-22 20221794__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to harness horse racing; amending s.
3 550.054, F.S.; authorizing the division to issue
4 special harness horse racing permits; specifying that
5 a special harness horse racing permitholder may only
6 conduct live harness horse racing and associated pari
7 mutuel wagering; prohibiting special harness horse
8 racing permitholders from operating cardrooms or slot
9 machines and from applying for or being issued
10 licenses relating to such operations; prohibiting a
11 special harness horse racing permit from being
12 converted to another class of permit; amending s.
13 550.01215, F.S.; authorizing certain permitholders to
14 elect to conduct live harness horse racing; specifying
15 that permitholders making such election are not
16 entitled to any additional permits; requiring such
17 permitholders to maintain and remain qualified for
18 their original permits; providing construction; making
19 conforming changes; providing an effective date.
20
21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23 Section 1. Subsection (16) is added to section 550.054,
24 Florida Statutes, and subsection (15) of that section is
25 republished, to read:
26 550.054 Application for permit to conduct pari-mutuel
27 wagering.—
28 (15)(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a
29 permit for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering and associated
30 cardroom or slot machine licenses may only be held by a
31 permitholder who held an operating license for the conduct of
32 pari-mutuel wagering for fiscal year 2020-2021 or who holds a
33 permit issued pursuant to s. 550.3345;
34 (b) All permits issued under this chapter held by
35 permitholders on January 1, 2021, are deemed valid for the sole
36 and exclusive purpose of satisfying all conditions for the valid
37 issuance of the permits, if such permitholder held an operating
38 license for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering for fiscal year
39 2020-2021 or if such permitholder held a permit issued pursuant
40 to s. 550.3345;
41 (c) Additional permits for the conduct of pari-mutuel
42 wagering may not be approved or issued by the division after
43 January 1, 2021; and
44 (d) A permit to conduct pari-mutuel wagering may not be
45 converted to another class of permit.
46 (16) Notwithstanding subsection (15), the division may
47 issue a special harness horse racing permit for the conduct of
48 pari-mutuel wagering operations associated with live harness
49 horse racing to any applicant who meets the requirements of this
50 chapter. A special harness horse racing permitholder may only
51 conduct live harness horse racing and associated pari-mutuel
52 wagering pursuant to this chapter. A special harness horse
53 racing permitholder may not operate a cardroom or slot machines.
54 A special harness horse racing permitholder may not apply for,
55 and the division may not issue, a license to operate cardrooms
56 or slot machines regardless of any qualifications to do so. A
57 special harness horse racing permit may not be converted to
58 another class of permit.
59 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
60 550.01215, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
61 550.01215 License application; periods of operation;
62 license fees; bond.—
63 (1) Each permitholder shall annually, during the period
64 between December 15 and January 4, file in writing with the
65 division its application for an operating license for a pari
66 mutuel facility for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering during
67 the next state fiscal year, including intertrack and simulcast
68 race wagering. Each application for live performances must
69 specify the number, dates, and starting times of all live
70 performances that the permitholder intends to conduct. It must
71 also specify which performances will be conducted as charity or
72 scholarship performances.
73 (b)1. A greyhound permitholder may not conduct live
74 greyhound racing or dogracing. A jai alai permitholder, harness
75 horse racing permitholder, or quarter horse racing permitholder
76 may elect not to conduct live racing or games. A thoroughbred
77 permitholder must conduct live thoroughbred racing. A greyhound
78 permitholder, jai alai permitholder, harness horse racing
79 permitholder, or quarter horse racing permitholder that does not
80 conduct live racing or games retains its permit; is a pari
81 mutuel facility as defined in s. 550.002(23); if such
82 permitholder has been issued a slot machine license, the
83 facility where such permit is located remains an eligible
84 facility as defined in s. 551.102(4), continues to be eligible
85 for a slot machine license pursuant to s. 551.104(3), and is
86 exempt from ss. 551.104(4)(c) and (10) and 551.114(2); is
87 eligible, but not required, to be a guest track and, if the
88 permitholder is a harness horse racing permitholder, to be a
89 host track for purposes of intertrack wagering and simulcasting
90 pursuant to ss. 550.3551, 550.615, 550.625, and 550.6305; and
91 remains eligible for a cardroom license.
92 2. A permitholder or licensee may not conduct live
93 greyhound racing or dogracing in connection with any wager for
94 money or any other thing of value in the state. The division may
95 deny, suspend, or revoke any permit or license under this
96 chapter if a permitholder or licensee conducts live greyhound
97 racing or dogracing in violation of this subparagraph. In
98 addition to, or in lieu of, denial, suspension, or revocation of
99 such permit or license, the division may impose a civil penalty
100 of up to $5,000 against the permitholder or licensee for a
101 violation of this subparagraph. All penalties imposed and
102 collected must be deposited with the Chief Financial Officer to
103 the credit of the General Revenue Fund.
104 3. A greyhound permitholder, jai alai permitholder,
105 thoroughbred permitholder, or quarter horse racing permitholder
106 who held an operating license for the conduct of pari-mutuel
107 wagering during the 2020-2021 operating year or who holds a
108 permit issued pursuant to s. 550.3345 may elect to conduct live
109 harness horse racing. A permitholder making such election is not
110 entitled to any additional permits. In order to conduct harness
111 horse racing pursuant to this subparagraph, a permitholder must
112 maintain and remain qualified for the permitholder’s original
113 permit. An election made pursuant to this subparagraph is
114 considered an additional benefit of holding a greyhound permit,
115 jai alai permit, thoroughbred permit, quarter horse racing
116 permit, or permit issued pursuant to s. 550.3345. An election
117 made pursuant to this subparagraph may not be considered a grant
118 or issuance of a new permit or license or a conversion of an
119 existing permit or license.
120 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.
