| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to pari-mutuel wagering; requiring |
| 3 | dogracing permitholders to provide a greyhound-adoption |
| 4 | booth at each dogracing facility in the state; requiring |
| 5 | that the booth be operated by certain qualified persons on |
| 6 | weekends; requiring that information concerning the |
| 7 | adoption of a greyhound be made available to the public at |
| 8 | the facility; requiring the permitholder to provide |
| 9 | adoption information in racing programs and to identify |
| 10 | greyhounds that will become available for adoption; |
| 11 | authorizing the permitholder to hold an additional charity |
| 12 | day that is designated as "Greyhound Adopt-A-Pet Day"; |
| 13 | requiring that profits derived from the charity day be |
| 14 | used to fund activities promoting the adoption of |
| 15 | greyhounds; authorizing the Division of Pari-mutuel |
| 16 | Wagering within the Department of Business and |
| 17 | Professional Regulation to adopt rules; providing |
| 18 | penalties; amending s. 550.1647, F.S., relating to |
| 19 | unclaimed tickets and breaks with respect to greyhound |
| 20 | racing; defining the term "bona fide organization that |
| 21 | promotes or encourages the adoption of greyhounds"; |
| 22 | providing an effective date. |
| 23 |
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| 24 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 25 |
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| 26 | Section 1. Greyhound adoptions.-- |
| 27 | (1) Each dogracing permitholder operating a dogracing |
| 28 | facility in this state shall provide for a greyhound-adoption |
| 29 | booth to be located at the facility. The greyhound-adoption |
| 30 | booth must be operated on weekends by personnel or volunteers |
| 31 | from a bona fide organization that promotes or encourages the |
| 32 | adoption of greyhounds pursuant to section 550.1647, Florida |
| 33 | Statutes. As used in this section, the term "weekend" includes |
| 34 | the hours during which live greyhound racing is conducted on |
| 35 | Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Information pamphlets and |
| 36 | application forms shall be provided to the public upon request. |
| 37 | In addition, the kennel operator or owner shall notify the |
| 38 | permitholder that a greyhound is available for adoption and the |
| 39 | permitholder shall provide information concerning the adoption |
| 40 | of a greyhound in each race program and shall post adoption |
| 41 | information at conspicuous locations throughout the dogracing |
| 42 | facility. Any greyhound that is participating in a race and that |
| 43 | will be available for future adoption must be noted in the race |
| 44 | program. The permitholder shall allow greyhounds to be walked |
| 45 | through the track facility to publicize the greyhound-adoption |
| 46 | program. |
| 47 | (2) In addition to the charity days authorized under |
| 48 | section 550.0351, Florida Statutes, a greyhound permitholder may |
| 49 | fund the greyhound-adoption program by holding a charity racing |
| 50 | day designated as "Greyhound Adopt-A-Pet Day." All profits |
| 51 | derived from the operation of the charity day must be placed |
| 52 | into a fund used to support activities at the racing facility |
| 53 | which promote the adoption of greyhounds. The division may adopt |
| 54 | rules for administering the fund. Proceeds from the charity day |
| 55 | authorized in this subsection may not be used as a source of |
| 56 | funds for the purposes set forth in section 550.1647, Florida |
| 57 | Statutes. |
| 58 | (3)(a) Upon a violation of this section by a permitholder |
| 59 | or licensee, the division may impose a penalty as provided in |
| 60 | section 550.0251(10), Florida Statutes, and require the |
| 61 | permitholder to take corrective action. |
| 62 | (b) A penalty imposed under section 550.0251(10), Florida |
| 63 | Statutes, does not exclude a prosecution for cruelty to animals |
| 64 | or for any other criminal act. |
| 65 | Section 2. Section 550.1647, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 66 | to read: |
| 67 | 550.1647 Greyhound permitholders; unclaimed tickets; |
| 68 | breaks.--All money or other property represented by any |
| 69 | unclaimed, uncashed, or abandoned pari-mutuel ticket which has |
| 70 | remained in the custody of or under the control of any |
| 71 | permitholder authorized to conduct greyhound racing pari-mutuel |
| 72 | pools in this state for a period of 1 year after the date the |
| 73 | pari-mutuel ticket was issued, if the rightful owner or owners |
| 74 | thereof have made no claim or demand for such money or other |
| 75 | property within that period of time, shall, with respect to live |
| 76 | races conducted by the permitholder, be remitted to the state |
| 77 | pursuant to s. 550.1645; however, such permitholder shall be |
| 78 | entitled to a credit in each state fiscal year in an amount |
| 79 | equal to the actual amount remitted in the prior state fiscal |
| 80 | year which may be applied against any taxes imposed pursuant to |
| 81 | this chapter. In addition, each permitholder shall pay, from any |
| 82 | source, including the proceeds from performances conducted |
| 83 | pursuant to s. 550.0351, an amount not less than 10 percent of |
| 84 | the amount of the credit provided by this section to any bona |
| 85 | fide organization that promotes or encourages the adoption of |
| 86 | greyhounds. As used in this chapter, the term "bona fide |
| 87 | organization that promotes or encourages the adoption of |
| 88 | greyhounds" means any organization that provides evidence of |
| 89 | compliance with chapter 496 and possesses a valid exemption from |
| 90 | federal taxation issued by the Internal Revenue Service. Such |
| 91 | bona fide organization, as a condition of adoption, must provide |
| 92 | sterilization of greyhounds by a licensed veterinarian before |
| 93 | relinquishing custody of the greyhound to the adopter. The fee |
| 94 | for sterilization may be included in the cost of adoption. |
| 95 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004. |