House Bill hb0631

    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 631

        By Representative Gottlieb






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to pari-mutuel wagering;

  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 to 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.--

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 631

    592-139-02






  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. The greyhound-adoption

  4  booth must be operated on weekends by personnel or volunteers

  5  from a bona fide organization that promotes or encourages the

  6  adoption of greyhounds pursuant to section 550.1647, Florida

  7  Statutes. As used in this section, the term "weekend" includes

  8  the hours during which live greyhound racing is conducted on

  9  Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Information pamphlets and

10  application forms shall be provided to the public upon

11  request. In addition, the kennel operator or owner shall

12  notify the permitholder that a greyhound is available for

13  adoption and the permitholder shall provide information

14  concerning the adoption of a greyhound in each race program

15  and shall post adoption information at conspicuous locations

16  throughout the dogracing facility. Any greyhound that is

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

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

19  shall allow greyhounds to be walked through the track facility

20  to publicize the greyhound-adoption program.

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

22  section 550.0351, Florida Statutes, a greyhound permitholder

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

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

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

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

27  facility which promote the adoption of greyhounds. The

28  division may adopt rules for administering the fund. Proceeds

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

30  used as a source of funds for the purposes set forth in

31  section 550.1647, Florida Statutes.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 631

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

  2  permitholder or licensee, the division may impose a penalty as

  3  provided in section 550.0251(10), Florida Statutes, and

  4  require the permitholder to take corrective action.

  5         (b)  A penalty imposed under section 550.0251(10),

  6  Florida Statutes, does not exclude a prosecution for cruelty

  7  to animals or for any other criminal act.

  8         Section 2.  Section 550.1647, Florida Statutes, is

  9  amended to read:

10         550.1647  Greyhound permitholders; unclaimed tickets;

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

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

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

14  permitholder authorized to conduct greyhound racing

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

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

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

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

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

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

21  permitholder shall be entitled to a credit in each state

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

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

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

25  permitholder shall pay, from any source, including the

26  proceeds from performances conducted pursuant to s. 550.0351,

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

28  provided by this section to any bona fide organization that

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

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

31  or encourages the adoption of greyhounds" means any

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 631

    592-139-02






  1  organization that provides evidence of compliance with chapter

  2  496 and possesses a valid exemption from federal taxation

  3  issued by the Internal Revenue Service. Such bona fide

  4  organization, as a condition of adoption, must provide

  5  sterilization of greyhounds by a licensed veterinarian before

  6  relinquishing custody of the greyhound to the adoptor. The fee

  7  for sterilization may be included in the cost of adoption.

  8         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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11                          SENATE SUMMARY

12    Requires greyhound racing permitholders to provide for a
      greyhound-adoption booth to be located at the dogracing
13    facility. Requires that the racing program contain
      adoption information and identify greyhounds that will
14    become available for adoption. Authorizes the
      permitholder to hold an additional charity day,
15    designated as "Greyhound Adopt-A-Pet Day," and use the
      profits from the charity day to fund activities promoting
16    greyhound adoptions. Provides penalties.

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