CHAPTER 576
S.P. 786 - L.D. 2042
An Act To Amend the Harness Racing Laws Regarding Distributions from the Fund to Supplement Harness Racing Purses
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, an inequity exists with regard to the timing of disbursements of funds to supplement harness racing purses; and
Whereas, the inequity will have a negative impact on harness racing purses provided at certain agricultural fairs in the 2006 racing season; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §298, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §3 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
2. Distribution. On April 30th, July 30th, October 30th and January 30th of each year, all amounts credited to the fund established by this section as of the last day of the preceding month and not distributed before that day must be distributed to each commercial track, as defined in section 275-A, subsection 1, to each agricultural fair licensee that conducts live racing on fair dates assigned by the commissioner pursuant to Title 7, section 65 and to each agricultural fair licensee that conducts an extended meet as long as that licensee conducted an extended meet in 2005, with each commercial track and each agricultural fair licensee receiving an amount of money determined by multiplying the amount of money available for distribution times a fraction, the numerator of which is the total number of live race dashes assigned to the commercial track or agricultural fair licensee for the year and the denominator of which is the total number of race dashes assigned to all commercial tracks and agricultural fair licensees for the year. The payment in January must be adjusted so that for the prior year each commercial track or agricultural fair licensee entitled to a distribution receives that portion of the total money distributed for the full year from the fund established by this section that is determined by multiplying the total amount of money by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of live race dashes conducted by the commercial track or agricultural fair licensee during the calendar year that qualify for a distribution and the denominator of which is the total number of race dashes conducted during that calendar year that qualify for a distribution. For purposes of this subsection, a race dash qualifies for distribution if the dash was conducted by a commercial track or by an agricultural fair licensee on dates assigned under Title 7, section 65 or during an extended meet. The number of dashes held at an extended meet that qualify for distribution may not exceed the number of dashes conducted by the licensee during an extended meet in 2005. The funds distributed pursuant to this subsection must be used to supplement harness racing purses.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.
Effective April 12, 2006.
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