BILL NUMBER: AB 1575INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Committee on Governmental Organization (Price (Chair), Coto, Evans, Galgiani, Hall, Hill, Lieu, Mendoza, Portantino, Torres, and Torrico) MARCH 23, 2009 An act to amend Sections 19510 and 19513 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to horse racing, and making an appropriation therefor. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1575, as introduced, Committee on Governmental Organization. Horse racing officials: stewards, outriders, and official veterinarians. (1) Existing law, the Horse Racing Law, provides for the operation of live horse racing in this state and for wagering thereon, and for the operation of satellite wagering facilities, subject to regulation and oversight by the California Horse Racing Board, as specified. Existing law provides that every steward and racing official shall be licensed and subject to both written and oral examinations, as specified. "Racing official" is defined to include official veterinarians. In general, persons who participate in a horse race without proper licensure are guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would include outriders in the definition of racing officials thus requiring them to be licensed and examined, as specified. The bill would also provide that oral examinations for stewards shall be conducted by a panel of not less than 3 members of the board, while oral examinations for official veterinarians shall be conducted by a panel of not less than one member of the board, the equine medical director, and the executive director of the board. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Under existing law, revenues distributed to the state as license fees from horse racing are required to be deposited in the Fair and Exposition Fund and are continuously appropriated to the Department of Food and Agriculture for various regulatory and general governmental purposes. Because this bill would revise the amount of money deposited into, and distributed from, that fund, it would make an appropriation. (3) 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. Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 19510 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 19510. (a) Every steward and racing official not required to be licensed under Article 4 (commencing with Section 19480) shall be licensed by the board pursuant to this article. Any license issued pursuant to this article shall include a current photograph of the licensed person. (b) No person required to be licensed pursuant to this article may participate in any capacity in any horse race meeting without a valid and unrevoked license. The board shall determine the fixed license fee which shall be paid in order to receive a license pursuant to this article. (c) As used in this section, "racing official" means the starter, outrider, timer, paddock judge, horseshoe inspector, horse identifier, official veterinarian, racing veterinarian, associate judge, placing judge, patrol judge, clerk of scales, clerk of the course, and any other person acting as an official at any horse racing meeting. SEC. 2. Section 19513 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 19513. (a) The board shall prepare both written and oral examinations. All examinations shall be standardized and, in the case of oral examinations, tape recorded. Written examinations may be administered by members of the board staff. Oral examinations for stewards shall be conducted by a panel of not less than three board members. Oral examinations for official veterinarians shall be conducted by a panel of not less than one board member, the equine medical director, and the executive director. (b) The board shall provide a detailed outline of the subjects to be covered by the oral and written examinations for a license to every person who requests the outline. (c) The results of the oral and written examinations for stewards licenses shall be a public record. SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.