SPONSOR:   

Rep. Q. Johnson & Sen. Ennis & Sen. Hall-Long & Sen. Marshall

 

Reps. Barbieri, Bennett, Brady, Jaques, Keeley, Kowalko, Peterman, Scott, Viola, Walker, Wilson; Sen. Peterson

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

146th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 

HOUSE BILL NO. 320

 

 

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 3 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HORSE RACING.

 


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

 


Section 1.  Amend Title 3, section 10148 of the Delaware Code by making insertions as shown by underlining and deletions as shown by strike through as follows:

§ 10148. Restrictions on licensee acting as video lottery agent.

During any calendar year in which a licensee under this chapter has also been licensed by the Director of the State Lottery Office to maintain video lottery machines within the confines of a racetrack licensed under this chapter, the following rules shall apply:

(1) As to each racetrack so licensed by the Director of the State Lottery Office, the licensee shall conduct live racing operations on at least 100 days. Each licensee shall also employ during the live racing operations a minimum of 100 additional employees than the average daily number employed during the most recent racing meet held prior to July 16, 1994. The licensee's continued failure to substantially comply with this requirement after notice from the Director shall constitute grounds for revocation or suspension of the video lottery agent's license.

(2) An amount determined pursuant to § 4815(b)(3) of Title 29 shall be added to the purses for the races to be held at the licensee's racetrack. The allocation of said sums among the races to be held at the licensee's racetrack shall be in accordance with contracts currently in force with the Horsemen's Association recognized for the purposes related to the allocation of purses, provided that all such sums shall have been allocated no later than the end of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year of receipt of said sums by the licensee.

(3) The licensee shall negotiate agreements to conduct live Thoroughbred horse racing with the Thoroughbred horse racing trainers and owners only through Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Inc., or its successor, as their exclusive bargaining agent.  This subsection shall not apply to Arabian horse racing. 


SYNOPSIS

This bill formally designates Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Inc. (DTHA) as the sole representative for horse owners and trainers negotiating agreements to conduct live Thoroughbred horse racing.  Presently, Delaware Park is the only authorized video lottery agent that also conducts Thoroughbred horse racing meets.  DTHA has been incorporated since 1990 and has been bargaining with Delaware Park on behalf of Thoroughbred horse owners and trainers for approximately 18 years.  This bill has no application to Arabian horses or the Eastern Arabian Racing Alliance also racing at Delaware Park.