Senate Bill 2022

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2022

    By Senator King





    8-1238-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to pari-mutuel wagering;

  3         amending s. 550.0951, F.S.; providing for the

  4         tax on handle for intertrack wagering for

  5         harness racing; amending s. 550.09512, F.S.;

  6         reducing the tax on handle for live harness

  7         performances; amending s. 550.2625, F.S.;

  8         increasing the percentage of purse requirements

  9         for harness racing; amending s. 550.625, F.S.;

10         increasing the percentage of purses for harness

11         racing; providing an effective date.

12

13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

14

15         Section 1.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section

16  550.0951, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

17         550.0951  Payment of daily license fee and taxes.--

18         (3)  TAX ON HANDLE.--Each permitholder shall pay a tax

19  on contributions to pari-mutuel pools, the aggregate of which

20  is hereinafter referred to as "handle," on races or games

21  conducted by the permitholder. The tax is imposed daily and is

22  based on the total contributions to all pari-mutuel pools

23  conducted during the daily performance.  If a permitholder

24  conducts more than one performance daily, the tax is imposed

25  on each performance separately.

26         (c)1.  The tax on handle for intertrack wagering is 3.3

27  percent of the handle if the host track is a horse track, 1.6

28  percent if the host track is a harness track, 7.6 percent if

29  the host track is a dog track, and 7.1 percent if the host

30  track is a jai alai fronton.  The tax on handle for intertrack

31  wagering on rebroadcasts of simulcast horseraces is 2.4

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2022
    8-1238-00




  1  percent of the handle and 1.2 percent of the handle if the

  2  permitholder is a harness track.  The tax shall be deposited

  3  into the General Revenue Fund.

  4         2.  Effective October 1, 1996, the tax on handle for

  5  intertrack wagers accepted by any dog track located in an area

  6  of the state in which there are only three permitholders, all

  7  of which are greyhound permitholders, located in three

  8  contiguous counties, from any greyhound permitholder also

  9  located within such area or any dog track or jai alai fronton

10  located as specified in s. 550.615(6) or (8), on races or

11  games received from the same class of permitholder located

12  within the same market area is 6 percent if the host facility

13  is a greyhound permitholder and, if the host facility is a jai

14  alai permitholder, the rate shall be 6.1 percent except that

15  it shall be 2.3 percent on handle at such time as the total

16  tax on intertrack handle paid to the division by the

17  permitholder during the current state fiscal year exceeds the

18  total tax on intertrack handle paid to the division by the

19  permitholder during the 1992-1993 state fiscal year.

20         3.  Any guest track that imposes a surcharge on each

21  winning ticket cashed pursuant to s. 550.6335 shall pay an

22  additional tax equal to 5 percent of the surcharge so imposed.

23  Any taxes so imposed shall be deposited into the General

24  Revenue Fund.

25         Section 2.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section

26  550.09512, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

27         550.09512  Harness horse taxes; abandoned interest in a

28  permit for nonpayment of taxes.--

29         (2)(a)  Notwithstanding the provisions of s.

30  550.0951(3)(a), the tax on handle for live harness horse

31  performances is 0.5 1 percent of handle per performance.

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2022
    8-1238-00




  1         Section 3.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section

  2  550.2625, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

  3         550.2625  Horseracing; minimum purse requirement,

  4  Florida breeders' and owners' awards.--

  5         (2)  Each permitholder conducting a horserace meet is

  6  required to pay from the takeout withheld on pari-mutuel pools

  7  a sum for purses in accordance with the type of race

  8  performed.

  9         (b)1.  A permitholder conducting a harness horse race

10  meet under this chapter must pay to the purse pool from the

11  takeout withheld a purse requirement that totals an amount not

12  less than 8.25 8 percent of all contributions to pari-mutuel

13  pools conducted during the race meet.  An amount not less than

14  7.75 7.5 percent of the total handle shall be paid from this

15  purse pool as purses.

16         2.  An amount not to exceed 0.5 percent of the total

17  handle on all harness horse races that are subject to the

18  purse requirement of subparagraph 1., must be available for

19  use to provide medical, dental, surgical, life, funeral, or

20  disability insurance benefits for occupational licensees who

21  work at tracks in this state at which harness horse races are

22  conducted.  Such insurance benefits must be paid from the

23  purse pool specified in subparagraph 1.  An annual plan for

24  payment of insurance benefits from the purse pool, including

25  qualifications for eligibility, must be submitted by the

26  Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association for

27  approval to the division.  An annual report of the implemented

28  plan shall be submitted to the division.  All records of the

29  Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association

30  concerning the administration of the plan must be available

31  for audit at the discretion of the division to determine that

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2022
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  1  the plan has been implemented and administered as authorized.

  2  If the division finds that the Florida Standardbred Breeders

  3  and Owners Association has not complied with the provisions of

  4  this section, the division may order the association to cease

  5  and desist from administering the plan and shall appoint the

  6  division as temporary administrator of the plan until the

  7  division reestablishes administration of the plan with the

  8  association.

  9         Section 4.  Subsection (1) of section 550.625, Florida

10  Statutes, is amended to read:

11         550.625  Intertrack wagering; purses; breeders'

12  awards.--If a host track is a horse track:

13         (1)  A host track racing under either a thoroughbred or

14  quarter horse permit shall pay an amount equal to 6.125

15  percent of all wagers placed pursuant to the provisions of s.

16  550.615, as purses during its current race meet.  However, up

17  to 0.50 percent of all wagers placed pursuant to s. 550.615

18  may, at the option of the host track, be deducted from the

19  amount retained by the host track for purses to supplement the

20  awards program for owners of Florida-bred horses as set forth

21  in s. 550.2625(6).  A host track racing under a harness permit

22  shall pay an amount equal to 7.85 7 percent of all wagers

23  placed pursuant to the provisions of s. 550.615, as purses

24  during its current race meet.  If a host track underpays or

25  overpays purses required by this section and s. 550.2625, the

26  provisions of s. 550.2625 apply to the overpayment or

27  underpayment.

28         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2022
    8-1238-00




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  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Provides a tax on handle for intertrack wagering
      involving harness horse racing. Revises the percentage of
  4    tax on handle and the percentage of purse requirements
      for harness horse racing.
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