Bill Text: FL S0778 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Pari-mutuel Licensing

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-03-08 - Died in Regulated Industries [S0778 Detail]

Download: Florida-2024-S0778-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 778
       
       
        
       By Senator Bradley
       
       
       
       
       
       6-00875-24                                             2024778__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to pari-mutuel licensing; amending s.
    3         550.01215, F.S.; replacing the use of the term “racing
    4         dates” with “its current meet dates”; amending s.
    5         550.475, F.S.; expanding the entitlement of pari
    6         mutuel permitholders to lease any and all of their
    7         facilities to any holder of a valid pari-mutuel
    8         permit; reenacting ss. 550.054(14)(b) and 550.615(8),
    9         F.S., relating to application for a permit to conduct
   10         pari-mutuel wagering and intertrack wagering,
   11         respectively, to incorporate the amendment made to s.
   12         550.475, F.S., in references thereto; providing an
   13         effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 550.01215, Florida
   18  Statutes, is amended to read:
   19         550.01215 License application; periods of operation;
   20  license fees; bond.—
   21         (3) The commission shall issue each license no later than
   22  March 15. Each permitholder shall operate all performances at
   23  the date and time specified on its license. The commission shall
   24  have the authority to approve minor changes in its current meet
   25  racing dates after a license has been issued. The commission may
   26  approve changes in its current meet racing dates after a license
   27  has been issued when there is no objection from any operating
   28  permitholder that is conducting live racing or games and that is
   29  located within 50 miles of the permitholder requesting the
   30  changes in operating dates. In the event of an objection, the
   31  commission shall approve or disapprove the change in operating
   32  dates based upon the impact on operating permitholders located
   33  within 50 miles of the permitholder requesting the change in
   34  operating dates. In making the determination to change its
   35  current meet racing dates, the commission shall take into
   36  consideration the impact of such changes on state revenues.
   37         Section 2. Section 550.475, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   38  read:
   39         550.475 Lease of pari-mutuel facilities by pari-mutuel
   40  permitholders.—Holders of valid pari-mutuel permits for the
   41  conduct of any pari-mutuel wagering in this state are entitled
   42  to lease any and all of their facilities to any other holder of
   43  a same class valid pari-mutuel permit, when located within a 35
   44  mile radius of each other; and such lessee is entitled to a
   45  permit and license to conduct intertrack wagering and operate
   46  its race meet or jai alai games at the leased premises.
   47         Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
   48  made by this act to section 550.475, Florida Statutes, in a
   49  reference thereto, paragraph (b) of subsection (14) of section
   50  550.054, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read:
   51         550.054 Application for permit to conduct pari-mutuel
   52  wagering.—
   53         (14)
   54         (b) The commission, upon application from the holder of a
   55  jai alai permit meeting all conditions of this section, shall
   56  convert the permit and shall issue to the permitholder a permit
   57  to conduct greyhound racing. A permitholder of a permit
   58  converted under this section shall be required to apply for and
   59  conduct a full schedule of live racing each fiscal year to be
   60  eligible for any tax credit provided by this chapter. The holder
   61  of a permit converted pursuant to this subsection or any holder
   62  of a permit to conduct greyhound racing located in a county in
   63  which it is the only permit issued pursuant to this section who
   64  operates at a leased facility pursuant to s. 550.475 may move
   65  the location for which the permit has been issued to another
   66  location within a 30-mile radius of the location fixed in the
   67  permit issued in that county, provided the move does not cross
   68  the county boundary and such location is approved under the
   69  zoning regulations of the county or municipality in which the
   70  permit is located, and upon such relocation may use the permit
   71  for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering and the operation of a
   72  cardroom. The provisions of s. 550.6305(9)(d) and (f) shall
   73  apply to any permit converted under this subsection and shall
   74  continue to apply to any permit which was previously included
   75  under and subject to such provisions before a conversion
   76  pursuant to this section occurred.
   77         Section 4. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
   78  made by this act to section 550.475, Florida Statutes, in a
   79  reference thereto, subsection (8) of section 550.615, Florida
   80  Statutes, is reenacted to read:
   81         550.615 Intertrack wagering.—
   82         (8) In any three contiguous counties of the state where
   83  there are only three permitholders, all of which are greyhound
   84  permitholders, if any permitholder leases the facility of
   85  another permitholder for all or any portion of the conduct of
   86  its live race meet pursuant to s. 550.475, such lessee may
   87  conduct intertrack wagering at its pre-lease permitted facility
   88  throughout the entire year.
   89         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.