The bill proposes significant amendments to the Code of Alabama 1975 concerning the Greene County Racing Commission. It revises the commission's composition to three members appointed by the Greene County legislative delegation, removing the Governor's role in appointments and eliminating term limits for current commissioners. A new residency requirement mandates commissioners to have lived in Alabama for five years, and they cannot have financial interests in race tracks or racing meetings licensed by the commission. The bill also changes the compensation structure for commission members, aligns it with other Greene County employees, and removes the cap on racing days, allowing racing on Sundays. It increases the maximum annual license fee for racetracks from $1,000 to $25,000 and repeals a section related to race outcome manipulation.

Furthermore, the bill specifies that racetrack and pari-mutuel licenses are not transferable without commission approval and sets a limit of two such licenses. It introduces new criteria for license applicants, including state incorporation and residency requirements, and mandates that 75 percent of track employees be Greene County residents. The bill modifies wagering rules, including the elimination of certain job titles from licensing requirements and the presence of a licensed veterinarian at weighing time. It also removes restrictions on the hours of operation for the Greene County Racetrack and the number of races per program. Licensees must pay a tax of four percent of total contributions to all simulcast pari-mutuel pools, and the bill outlines the distribution of fees, commissions, and taxes, with allocations to various county services and an 8.5 percent allocation for the fire department. Lastly, the bill repeals prohibitions on the transmission of greyhound race information and legalizes pari-mutuel wagering on historical horse racing machines, setting a local tax rate of up to four percent and a state tax rate of one percent. The act will become effective immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 45-32-150, 45-32-150, 45-32-150, 45-32-150, 45-32-150, 45-32-150, 45-32-150, 45-32-150, 45-32-150, 45-32-150, 45-32-150, 45-32-150