Senate Bill sb1692c1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 1692

    By the Committee on Regulated Industries and Senator Wasserman
    Schultz




    315-1668-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to greyhound adoptions;

  3         requiring dogracing permitholders to provide a

  4         greyhound-adoption booth at each dogracing

  5         facility in the state; requiring that the booth

  6         be operated by certain qualified persons on

  7         weekends; requiring that information concerning

  8         the adoption of a greyhound be made available

  9         to the public at the facility; requiring the

10         permitholder to provide adoption information in

11         racing programs and identify greyhounds that

12         will become available for adoption; authorizing

13         the permitholder to hold an additional charity

14         day that is designated as "Greyhound

15         Adopt-A-Pet Day"; requiring that profits

16         derived from the charity day be used to fund

17         activities promoting the adoption of

18         greyhounds; authorizing the Division of

19         Pari-mutuel Wagering within the Department of

20         Business and Professional Regulation to adopt

21         rules; providing penalties; amending s.

22         550.1647, F.S., relating to unclaimed tickets

23         and breaks with respect to greyhound racing;

24         defining the term "bona fide organization that

25         promotes or encourages the adoption of

26         greyhounds"; providing an effective date.

27

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

29

30         Section 1.  Greyhound adoptions.--

31

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 1692
    315-1668-01




  1         (1)  Each dogracing permitholder operating a dogracing

  2  facility in this state shall provide for a greyhound-adoption

  3  booth to be located at the facility and operated during the

  4  hours the facility is open to the public. The

  5  greyhound-adoption booth must be operated on weekends by

  6  personnel or volunteers from a recognized greyhound-adoption

  7  organization who are qualified to provide information to the

  8  public concerning the adoption of a greyhound. As used in this

  9  section, the term "weekend" includes the hours between 5 p.m.

10  on Friday evening and 12 a.m. on Sunday morning. Information

11  pamphlets and application forms shall be provided to the

12  public upon request. In addition, the kennel operator or owner

13  shall notify the permitholder that a greyhound is available

14  for adoption and the permitholder shall provide information

15  concerning the adoption of a greyhound in each race program

16  and shall post adoption information at conspicuous locations

17  throughout the dogracing facility. Any greyhound that is

18  participating in a race and that will be available for future

19  adoption must be noted in the race program. The permitholder

20  shall allow greyhounds to be walked through the track facility

21  to publicize the greyhound-adoption program.

22         (2)  In addition to the charity days authorized under

23  section 550.0351, Florida Statutes, a greyhound permitholder

24  may fund the greyhound-adoption program by holding a charity

25  racing day designated as "Greyhound Adopt-A-Pet Day." All

26  profits derived from the operation of the charity day must be

27  placed into a fund used to support activities at the racing

28  facility which promote the adoption of greyhounds. The

29  division may adopt rules for administering the fund. Proceeds

30  from the charity day authorized in this subsection may not be

31

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 1692
    315-1668-01




  1  used as a source of funds for the purposes set forth in s.

  2  550.1647.

  3         (3)(a)  Upon a violation of this section by a

  4  permitholder or licensee, the division or judge at a dogracing

  5  facility may impose one or more of the following penalties:

  6         1.  Suspension or permanent revocation of the

  7  permitholder's license or permit.

  8         2.  Imposition of an administrative fine, which may not

  9  exceed $5,000 for each separate offense.

10         3.  Stipulation that the permitholder take corrective

11  action.

12         (b)  A penalty imposed under this subsection does not

13  exclude a prosecution for cruelty to animals or for any other

14  criminal act.

15         Section 2.  Section 550.1647, Florida Statutes, is

16  amended to read:

17         550.1647  Greyhound permitholders; unclaimed tickets;

18  breaks.--All money or other property represented by any

19  unclaimed, uncashed, or abandoned pari-mutuel ticket which has

20  remained in the custody of or under the control of any

21  permitholder authorized to conduct greyhound racing

22  pari-mutuel pools in this state for a period of 1 year after

23  the date the pari-mutuel ticket was issued, if the rightful

24  owner or owners thereof have made no claim or demand for such

25  money or other property within that period of time, shall,

26  with respect to live races conducted by the permitholder, be

27  remitted to the state pursuant to s. 550.1645; however, such

28  permitholder shall be entitled to a credit in each state

29  fiscal year in an amount equal to the actual amount remitted

30  in the prior state fiscal year which may be applied against

31  any taxes imposed pursuant to this chapter. In addition, each

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 1692
    315-1668-01




  1  permitholder shall pay, from any source, including the

  2  proceeds from performances conducted pursuant to s. 550.0351,

  3  an amount not less than 10 percent of the amount of the credit

  4  provided by this section to any bona fide organization that

  5  promotes or encourages the adoption of greyhounds. As used in

  6  this section, the term "bona fide organization that promotes

  7  or encourages the adoption of greyhounds" means any

  8  organization that provides evidence of compliance with chapter

  9  496 and possesses a valid exemption from federal taxation

10  issued by the Internal Revenue Service.

11         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

12

13          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
14                             SB 1692

15

16  -Limits the requirement that permitholders operate on-site
    adoption booths to weekends, and allows volunteers from a
17  greyhound adoption organization to operate that booth.

18  -Kennel operators or greyhound owners must provide information
    to permitholders who must publish such information in the
19  program, that a particular greyhound that is participating in
    a race is available for future adoption.
20
    -Permitholders must allow greyhounds to be walked through the
21  track facility to publicize the greyhound adoption program but
    no longer requires greyhounds that are available for adoption
22  to be so identified and walked through the track facility.

23  -Requires proceeds from the Greyhound Adopt-a-Pet Day to be
    placed in a fund and authorizes the Division to adopt rules
24  for administering the fund.

25  -Provides limits for use of the charity day proceeds.

26  -Authorizes the Division to impose penalties.

27  -Defines the term "bona fide organization that promotes or
    encourages the adoption of greyhounds" as used in s. 550.1647,
28  F.S.

29

30

31

                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.