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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3990 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 347 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Tackey Chan |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act further regulating thoroughbred breeding. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Tackey Chan2nd Norfolk1/17/2025 1 of 4 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3990 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 347 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Chan of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 347) of Tackey |
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| 19 | 19 | | Chan for legislation to further regulate thoroughbred breeding. Consumer Protection and |
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| 20 | 20 | | Professional Licensure. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act further regulating thoroughbred breeding. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 SECTION 1. Section 2 of Chapter 128 of the General Laws is hereby amended by |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2striking out subsection (g) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:- |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3 (g) Promote, develop and encourage through the Massachusetts thoroughbred breeding |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4program, the breeding of thoroughbred horses in the commonwealth by offering incentives to |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5breeders of such horses in the following manner: in consultation with the Massachusetts Gaming |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6Commission, the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Inc. shall, from time to |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7time notify the director of racing the set percentages for: (i) incentives to be awarded to the |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8breeder of a Massachusetts-bred thoroughbred horse of the purse money won by that |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9thoroughbred horse in a pari-mutuel running horse race if the horse finishes first, second or third; |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10(ii) incentives to the owner of the stallion, at the time of service to the dam of such purse winner; |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11provided, however, that: (1) the stallion shall have been registered by February 15 and stood the |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12entire breeding season for that year in the commonwealth; (2) the horse shall have finished first, 2 of 4 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13second or third; and (3) the stallion shall be registered with the Massachusetts Thoroughbred |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14Breeders Association, Inc. and shall not be registered to stand in any other state that year; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15(iii) incentives for the purse monies won by the thoroughbred horse in any unrestricted or |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16restricted pari-mutuel running horse race held within or outside the commonwealth to the owner |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17of a Massachusetts-bred or accredited horse if the horse finishes first, second, or third. |
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| 46 | 46 | | 18 The Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Inc. may pay incentives for |
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| 47 | 47 | | 19races to be limited to Massachusetts-bred and accredited thoroughbred race horses from the |
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| 48 | 48 | | 20Massachusetts thoroughbred breeding program at licensed pari-mutuel race meetings in |
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| 49 | 49 | | 21consultation with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and the division of racing, and to pay |
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| 50 | 50 | | 22incentives to encourage breeding in the commonwealth. Such races may be betting or non- |
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| 51 | 51 | | 23betting races and may or may not be scheduled races by the licensee conducting the racing |
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| 52 | 52 | | 24meeting. Purse monies paid by the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association under this |
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| 53 | 53 | | 25section may be in such amounts as the association shall determine and may be the sole purse for |
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| 54 | 54 | | 26such races or may be supplemental to the purses established by the licensee; provided, however, |
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| 55 | 55 | | 27that such discretion shall include the discretion of the Association to set an overall cap on |
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| 56 | 56 | | 28incentives earned. |
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| 57 | 57 | | 29 No person shall be eligible for any incentives provided herein unless the following |
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| 58 | 58 | | 30standards are met: |
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| 59 | 59 | | 31 (i)(1) The foal of a thoroughbred mare that drops the foal in the commonwealth and is |
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| 60 | 60 | | 32bred back to a Massachusetts-registered stallion; or (2) the dropped foal of a thoroughbred mare |
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| 61 | 61 | | 33who resides in the commonwealth continuously for at least 90 days, including foaling and foals |
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| 62 | 62 | | 34in the commonwealth, shall be a Massachusetts-bred; In the unforeseen circumstances in which a 3 of 4 |
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| 63 | 63 | | 35Mare of the born foal passes away and cannot breed back to a Stallion said foal will be |
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| 64 | 64 | | 36recognized and registered as a Mass Bred; or |
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| 65 | 65 | | 37 (ii) Any unraced Thoroughbred foal that is raised in the commonwealth for 90 days |
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| 66 | 66 | | 38continuously prior to December 31 of its 3-year-old year shall be a Massachusetts-accredited |
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| 67 | 67 | | 39horse; and |
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| 68 | 68 | | 40 (iii) Each thoroughbred foal dropped or raised in the commonwealth shall be registered |
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| 69 | 69 | | 41with the Jockey Club and the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Inc. |
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| 70 | 70 | | 42 A Massachusetts-accredited thoroughbred shall be eligible for any Massachusetts bred |
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| 71 | 71 | | 43race, except for Massachusetts restricted stakes races. For Massachusetts bred stake races, |
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| 72 | 72 | | 44Massachusetts accredited horses may enter to fill the race after all Massachusetts-bred horses |
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| 73 | 73 | | 45have already been entered in the race. A full race shall be determined by the Massachusetts |
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| 74 | 74 | | 46Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Inc. and the hosting track for the race. |
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| 75 | 75 | | 47 The Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Inc. may pay foaling incentives |
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| 76 | 76 | | 48to the owner of any mare that foals within the commonwealth. To be eligible for such incentive, |
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| 77 | 77 | | 49prior to foaling, the owner of a mare shall file with the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders |
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| 78 | 78 | | 50Association, Inc. a verified statement that the mare is in foal, the expected due date, and the |
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| 79 | 79 | | 51location of the mare. |
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| 80 | 80 | | 52 The Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Inc. may expend up to 12 per |
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| 81 | 81 | | 53cent of the amount received each fiscal year for the program for the advertising, marketing, |
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| 82 | 82 | | 54promotion, and administration of the thoroughbred breeding program in the commonwealth. 4 of 4 |
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| 83 | 83 | | 55 The state auditor shall once annually audit the books of the Massachusetts Thoroughbred |
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| 84 | 84 | | 56Breeders Association Inc. to ensure compliance with this section. |
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