retired race horses; adoption; surcharge
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Committee on Natural Resources, Agriculture, Water and Native American Affairs |
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Committee on Appropriations |
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Caucus and COW |
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Third Read |
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As Passed the House |
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HB 2591 changes the Greyhound Adoption Fund to the Greyhound and Retired Race Horse Adoption Fund. The bill also establishes a five percent surcharge on each civil penalty assessed in connection with horse or harness racing and deposits the revenues derived into the Retired Race Horse Adoption Account of the Greyhound and Retired Race Horse Adoption Fund.
The Greyhound Adoption Fund was created in 1993 (Laws 1993 Ch. 253). The purpose of the Fund is to provide grants to non-profit organizations to be used for promoting adoption of racing greyhounds as domestic pets. The fees collected by the Arizona Department of Racing from licensing greyhound racing kennels, breeding farms and other operations where greyhounds are raised for racing purposes are the sole source of revenue for the Fund. The licensing follows a three year cycle, which means that the first year in the cycle brings in the most money and the following two years bring in less because the fees for licenses are prorated. Fiscal Year 2002 was the first year in the cycle, and the Fund received $3,224. In the second year of the cycle, FY 2003, the Fund received $300. Donations to the Greyhound Adoption Fund are not accepted. There are currently two non-profit greyhound adoption organizations that have applied for and received grants from the Fund.
There are no retired race horse adoption organizations in the state of Arizona at this time. However, there are private individuals who find homes for retired race horses. Based on the amount paid for civil penalties assessed for horse and harness racing in FY 2003, the Arizona Department of Racing estimates that the amount of revenue that would be generated for the Retired Race Horse Adoption account of the Fund is between $2,000 and $2,500 per year. According to the Arizona Department of Racing, no other state has legislation providing funding for the adoption of retired race horses at this time.
· Expands the Greyhound Adoption Fund to include retired race horses and establishes the Greyhound and Retired Race Horse Adoption Fund.
· Requires separate accounts for greyhound adoptions and retired race horse adoptions in the Fund.
· Creates a five percent surcharge on all civil penalties assessed in connection with horse or harness racing.
· Provides that the revenue generated from the civil penalty surcharge be deposited in the Retired Race Horse Adoption account of the Greyhound and Retired Race Horse Adoption Fund to be used for grants to non-profit retired race horse adoption organizations.