Florida Senate - 2024 SB 778



By Senator Bradley





6-00875-24 2024778__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to pari-mutuel licensing; amending s.
3 550.01215, F.S.; replacing the use of the term “racing
4 dates” with “its current meet dates”; amending s.
5 550.475, F.S.; expanding the entitlement of pari
6 mutuel permitholders to lease any and all of their
7 facilities to any holder of a valid pari-mutuel
8 permit; reenacting ss. 550.054(14)(b) and 550.615(8),
9 F.S., relating to application for a permit to conduct
10 pari-mutuel wagering and intertrack wagering,
11 respectively, to incorporate the amendment made to s.
12 550.475, F.S., in references thereto; providing an
13 effective date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 550.01215, Florida
18 Statutes, is amended to read:
19 550.01215 License application; periods of operation;
20 license fees; bond.—
21 (3) The commission shall issue each license no later than
22 March 15. Each permitholder shall operate all performances at
23 the date and time specified on its license. The commission shall
24 have the authority to approve minor changes in its current meet
25 racing dates after a license has been issued. The commission may
26 approve changes in its current meet racing dates after a license
27 has been issued when there is no objection from any operating
28 permitholder that is conducting live racing or games and that is
29 located within 50 miles of the permitholder requesting the
30 changes in operating dates. In the event of an objection, the
31 commission shall approve or disapprove the change in operating
32 dates based upon the impact on operating permitholders located
33 within 50 miles of the permitholder requesting the change in
34 operating dates. In making the determination to change its
35 current meet racing dates, the commission shall take into
36 consideration the impact of such changes on state revenues.
37 Section 2. Section 550.475, Florida Statutes, is amended to
38 read:
39 550.475 Lease of pari-mutuel facilities by pari-mutuel
40 permitholders.—Holders of valid pari-mutuel permits for the
41 conduct of any pari-mutuel wagering in this state are entitled
42 to lease any and all of their facilities to any other holder of
43 a same class valid pari-mutuel permit, when located within a 35
44 mile radius of each other; and such lessee is entitled to a
45 permit and license to conduct intertrack wagering and operate
46 its race meet or jai alai games at the leased premises.
47 Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
48 made by this act to section 550.475, Florida Statutes, in a
49 reference thereto, paragraph (b) of subsection (14) of section
50 550.054, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read:
51 550.054 Application for permit to conduct pari-mutuel
52 wagering.—
53 (14)
54 (b) The commission, upon application from the holder of a
55 jai alai permit meeting all conditions of this section, shall
56 convert the permit and shall issue to the permitholder a permit
57 to conduct greyhound racing. A permitholder of a permit
58 converted under this section shall be required to apply for and
59 conduct a full schedule of live racing each fiscal year to be
60 eligible for any tax credit provided by this chapter. The holder
61 of a permit converted pursuant to this subsection or any holder
62 of a permit to conduct greyhound racing located in a county in
63 which it is the only permit issued pursuant to this section who
64 operates at a leased facility pursuant to s. 550.475 may move
65 the location for which the permit has been issued to another
66 location within a 30-mile radius of the location fixed in the
67 permit issued in that county, provided the move does not cross
68 the county boundary and such location is approved under the
69 zoning regulations of the county or municipality in which the
70 permit is located, and upon such relocation may use the permit
71 for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering and the operation of a
72 cardroom. The provisions of s. 550.6305(9)(d) and (f) shall
73 apply to any permit converted under this subsection and shall
74 continue to apply to any permit which was previously included
75 under and subject to such provisions before a conversion
76 pursuant to this section occurred.
77 Section 4. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
78 made by this act to section 550.475, Florida Statutes, in a
79 reference thereto, subsection (8) of section 550.615, Florida
80 Statutes, is reenacted to read:
81 550.615 Intertrack wagering.—
82 (8) In any three contiguous counties of the state where
83 there are only three permitholders, all of which are greyhound
84 permitholders, if any permitholder leases the facility of
85 another permitholder for all or any portion of the conduct of
86 its live race meet pursuant to s. 550.475, such lessee may
87 conduct intertrack wagering at its pre-lease permitted facility
88 throughout the entire year.
89 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
S 778 Filed: 550.01215, 550.475