Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman LUANNE M. PETERPAUL
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Reduces minimum number of annually required thoroughbred horse racing dates under certain circumstances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the number of race dates held annually by certain horse racing permit holders and amending P.L.2001, c.199.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 30 of P.L.2001, c.199 (C.5:5-156) is amended to read as follows:
30. a. The permit holder at Monmouth Park and the thoroughbred permit holder at Meadowlands Racetrack together shall schedule annually no fewer than 141 thoroughbred race dates, except that the thoroughbred permit holder may decrease the annual number of scheduled thoroughbred race dates to no fewer than [50] :
25 thoroughbred race dates, upon written consent from the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association; or
25 thoroughbred race dates, in the event that the horse racing purse subsidy that is required to be allocated to the thoroughbred industry pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2019, c.36 (C.5:5-99.1) is not appropriated in the State’s annual appropriations act; or
40 thoroughbred race dates, in the event that the horse racing purse subsidy allocated to the thoroughbred industry by the State’s annual appropriations act is less than the amount required to be allocated to the thoroughbred industry pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2019, c.36 (C.5:5-99.1), but more than $5 million.
b. The standardbred permit holder at Meadowlands Racetrack shall schedule annually no fewer than 151 standardbred race dates, except that the standardbred permit holder may decrease the annual number of scheduled standardbred race dates to no fewer than 75 standardbred race dates upon written consent from the Standardbred Breeders' and Owners' Association of New Jersey.
c. The permit holders at Freehold Raceway shall schedule annually no fewer than 192 standardbred race dates, except that the permit holders may decrease the annual number of scheduled race dates to no fewer than 75 standardbred race dates upon written consent from the Standardbred Breeders' and Owners' Association of New Jersey.
d. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2017, c.172)
(cf: P.L.2017, c.172, s.1)
2. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Under current law, the permit holder at Monmouth Park and the thoroughbred permit holder at Meadowlands Racetrack together are required to hold at least 141 thoroughbred race dates in order to maintain eligibility for their horse racing permits, but can reduce the number of thoroughbred race dates to as few as 50 with written consent from the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. Current law also provides that the State will subsidize horse racing purses in New Jersey with $20 million in annual funds, $10 million of which goes to thoroughbred races.
This bill will allow the racetracks to reduce the number of thoroughbred race dates to 25 if the State does not provide any of the funds for the horse racing purse subsidies currently required by law, or upon the written consent of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. The bill will allow the racetracks to reduce the number of thoroughbred races to 40 if the State provides less than the $10 million that is currently required by law, but more than $5 million.