H.B. No. 4757 proposes significant amendments to the Texas Racing Commission's regulations, primarily focusing on horse racing while prohibiting live greyhound racing events in the state. The bill introduces a new definition for "occupational license" and establishes a Texas equine education and research council, which will manage a newly created escrow account for funding related to the Texas-bred program. It also clarifies eligibility criteria for commission membership, disqualifying individuals with certain financial interests or felony convictions, and expands the commission's authority to hire employees or contract individuals for regulatory purposes. Additionally, the bill modifies various sections of the Occupations Code to remove references to greyhound racing, reflecting its prohibition, and updates the commission's reporting requirements and fund handling related to the Texas-bred program.

Furthermore, the bill sets new minimum application fees for racetrack licensing, with specific amounts designated for different classes of racetracks, and establishes criteria for corporations seeking licenses for class 1 or class 2 racetracks. It also allows greyhound racetrack associations to convert their licenses to horse racing licenses by a specified deadline, provided they meet certain conditions. The legislation mandates that any greyhound purse funds held by racetrack associations as of September 1, 2025, be transferred to the Texas Racing Commission for allocation exclusively to live horse race purses. Overall, H.B. No. 4757 aims to modernize the regulatory framework for horse racing in Texas while eliminating greyhound racing as a live event.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Occupations Code 2021.003, Occupations Code 2021.006, Occupations Code 2022.004, Occupations Code 2022.052, Occupations Code 2023.053, Occupations Code 2023.061, Occupations Code 2024.055, Occupations Code 2025.103, Occupations Code 2025.262, Occupations Code 2026.008, Occupations Code 2026.051, Occupations Code 2028.103, Occupations Code 2028.105, Occupations Code 2028.301, Occupations Code 2033.002, Occupations Code 2033.004, Occupations Code 2033.014, Occupations Code 2033.101, Occupations Code 2033.104, Occupations Code 821.022, Government Code 481.172, Health and Safety Code 751.0021, Occupations Code 2021.002, Occupations Code 2022.001, Occupations Code 2023.001, Occupations Code 2023.002, Occupations Code 2023.004, Occupations Code 2023.101, Occupations Code 2025.051, Occupations Code 2025.053, Occupations Code 2025.101, Occupations Code 2025.201, Occupations Code 2026.003, Occupations Code 2026.004, Occupations Code 2027.001, Occupations Code 2027.006, Occupations Code 2028.051, Occupations Code 2028.202, Occupations Code 2035.001, Occupations Code 2035.002, Occupations Code 2035.005, Occupations Code 2035.006, Occupations Code 2035.015, Occupations Code 2035.016, Occupations Code 2035.105, Tax Code 11.23 (Occupations Code 2023, Occupations Code 2028, Tax Code 11, Occupations Code 2024, Occupations Code 2033, Occupations Code 2022, Occupations Code 2035, Occupations Code 821, Health and Safety Code 751, Occupations Code 2021, Occupations Code 2027, Occupations Code 2025, Occupations Code 2026, Government Code 481)