An Act To Amend the Harness Racing Laws Regarding Distributions from the Fund to Supplement Harness Racing Purses
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 2042
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: BARTLETT, MAREAN, BRYANT, FLOOD, JODREY
Amends: 8 MRSA §298

Legislative Document 
No. 2042 
S.P.786 
In Senate, March 2, 2006 
An Act To Amend the Harness Racing Laws Regarding 
Distributions from the Fund to Supplement Harness Racing Purses 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed. 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator BARTLETT of Cumberland. (GOVERNOR'S BILL) 
Cosponsored by Representative MAREAN of Hollis and 
Senator: BRYANT of Oxford, Representatives: FLOOD of Winthrop, JODREY of Bethel. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted 
as emergencies; and 
Whereas, an inequity exists with regard to the timing of 
disbursements of funds to supplement harness racing purses; and 
Whereas, the inequity will have a negative impact on harness 
racing purses provided at certain agricultural fairs in the 2006 
racing season; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts 
create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of 
Maine 
and 
require 
the 
following 
legislation 
as 
immediately 
necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and 
safety; now, therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §298, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, 
Pt. A, §3 and affected by Pt. B, §ll, is amended to read: 
2. 
Distribution. 
On 
May-~-h-,-~-embe-!'--6Qth April 30th, 
July 30th, 
October 
30th and January 30th of each year, 
all 
amounts credited to the fund established by this section as of 
the last day of the preceding month and not distributed before 
that day must be distributed to each commercial track, as defined 
in section 275-A, subsection 1, 
aBe to each agricultural fair 
association that during the preceding trimester has conducted 
live racing with pari-mutuel wagering on dates assigned by the 
commissioner 
pursuant 
to Title 
7, 
section 
65, 
and 
to 
each 
licensed racetrack that conducted an extended meet. referred to 
in this subsection as a "licensed racetrack," if the licensed 
race track conducted an extended meet during calendar year 2005, 
with 
each 
commercial 
track 
aBe---eaehL 
agricultural 
fair 
association and licensed racetrack receiving an amount of money 
determined by multiplying the 
amount of 
money available for 
distribution times a fraction, 
the numerator of which is the 
total number of live race dashes conducted by the commercial 
track 
e~L agricultural fair association or licensed racetrack 
during the preceding time period and the denominator of which is 
the total number of race dashes 
conducted by all commercial 
tracks 
aBeL 
agricultural 
fair 
associations 
and 
licensed 
racetracks during that time period. 
The payment in January must 
be adjusted so that for the prior 
~--t:-iffie--f>e.£.,iges ~ 
each 
commercial track 
9Ji'L agricultural fair association or licensed 
racetrack entitled to 
a 
distribution receives 
that 
f~aetieB 
portion of the total money distributed over the full year from 
the 
fund 
established 
by 
this 
sectionT--t.he--aRl9liBt. 
that 
is 
determined 
by 
multiplying 
the 
total 
amount 
of 
money 
so 
distributed 
by 
a 
fraction, 
the 
numerator 
of 
which 
is 
the 
Page l-LR3144(1) 
number of live race dashes conducted by the commercial track 9FL 
agricultural fair association or licensed racetrack during the 
calendar year that qualify for a distribution and the denominator 
of which is the total number of race dashes conducted during that 
calendar year By-~~-~-~aiFs that qualify for a distributiQn. 
fQr 
purposes of the subsection a 
race dash qualifies for 
a 
~istribution if the race dash was 
conducted by 
a 
cQmmercial 
track, agricultural fair assQciation or licensed racetrack on 
dates assigned by the commissioner pursuant to Title 7, section 
aRa-&y-~~~~~ia~-eFae*s-~~~~~~~~~-yeaF or by 
an 
extended 
meet 
cQnQ]Jcted 
by 
s1J.ch 
a 
cQmmercial 
track, 
~gricultural fair association or licensed racetrack, but only to 
the extent that dashes cQnducted by such an extended meet do nQt 
exceed the number Qf dashes that cQmmercial track, agricultural 
fair assQciation or licenseQ racetrack cQnducteQ in calenQar year 
~. The funds distributed pursuant to this section must be 
used to supplement harness racing purses. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the 
preamble, this Act takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill makes the following changes to the laws concerning 
racing. 
1. 
It authorizes 
quarterly 
payments 
from 
the 
Fund 
to 
Supplement Harness Racing Purses rather than trimester payments. 
2. 
It bases the first 3 quarterly payments on the 
race dashes assigned to a racetrack in proportion to 
number of dashes 
awarded to all racetracks, 
rather 
number of actual dashes raced in that quarter. 
number of 
the total 
than the 
3. 
It bases the 4th quarterly payment on the number of 
actual dashes raced by a racetrack in proportion to the total 
actual dashes conducted by all racetracks. 
4. 
It includes in the disbursement of funds those licensed 
racetracks that conducted an extended meet in 2005.