GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2005

S                                                                                                                                                    D

SENATE DRS35007-LK-2  (10/29)

Short Title:     Economic Development Horse Race.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senator Weinstein.
Referred to:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to allow certain Boards of county commissioners to issue ordinances permitting limited horse racing for economic development purposes.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 23 of Chapter 153A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

"§ 153A‑451.  Limited horse racing for economic development purposes.

(a) The board of county commissioners may issue ordinances allowing and regulating the running of horse races with pari‑mutuel wagering within the county for the purposes of economic development.

(b) The ordinances issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall include the following provisions:

(1) The board of directors of a nonprofit corporation that operates a racetrack shall be responsible for the conduct and operation of the horse races.

(2) The ordinances shall provide for the honesty and integrity of the horse races by providing that the board of directors:

a. Shall issue rules for the operation of any horse races conducted pursuant to this act, including rules governing any pari‑mutuel wagering.

b. Shall appoint stewards who shall enforce the racing rules issued by the board of directors.

c. Shall investigate the backgrounds of any persons directly involved with the running of the races, such as owners and jockeys, and any persons involved with the pari‑mutuel wagering.

d. Shall provide the necessary equipment for the fair and honest operation of all pari‑mutuel wager pools.

e. Shall appoint a veterinarian to ensure that all horses are free from any drugs that might affect the performance of those horses or the outcomes of the races.

f. Shall be personally responsible for the handling and accounting for all funds in the pari‑mutuel wager pools.

(3) The number of races that may be run and that all of the races shall be run on one day.

(4) The board of directors shall retain twenty percent (20%) of the amounts wagered in the pari‑mutuel wager pools and that these retained funds shall be used by the nonprofit corporation to:

a. First, to pay all expenses for the operation of the races.

b. Second, any balance shall be used to enhance economic development in the county.

(c) This section applies to any county that meets the following requirements:

(1) The county has, for the previous three years been one of the five counties with the lowest wages according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce's list of "County Wage Standards (Private)."

(2) The county has had horse racing for at least three years at the racetrack that will be used for the races run pursuant to this section."

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and expires three years from its effective date.