An Act To Protect the Future of Harness Racing
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1022
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: MAREAN, DIAMOND, BLACK, EVANGELOS, KINNEY, NADEAU, NUTTING, TIMMONS, WHITE, DILL
Amends: 8 MRSA §267-A, 8 MRSA §299, 8 MRSA §1036

Legislative Document 
No. 1022 
H.P. 705 
House of Representatives, March 19, 2015 
An Act To Protect the Future of Harness Racing 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative MAREAN of Hollis. 
Cosponsored by Senator DIAMOND of Cumberland and 
Representatives: BLACK of Wilton, EVANGELOS of Friendship, KINNEY of Limington, 
NADEAU of Winslow, NUTTING of Oakland, TIMMONS of Cumberland, WHITE of 
Washburn, Senator: DILL of Penobscot. 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, this legislation needs to take effect before the expiration of the 90-day 
period to provide funding as soon as possible to ensure the continuation of racing if a 
commercial track closes; 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 §267-A, sub-§2, ¶¶B and C, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 539, 
Pt. G, §6 and affected by §15, are amended to read: 
B.  All fees collected by the commission pursuant to section sections 271, 275-D and 
279-A; and 
C.  Any funds allocated or appropriated to the operating account.; and 
Sec. 2.  8 MRSA §267-A, sub-§2, ¶D is enacted to read: 
D.  Any funds deposited in the operating account pursuant to section 299, subsection 
3. 
Sec. 3.  8 MRSA §299, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 
3.  Track closure.  Notwithstanding subsection 2, if a commercial track ceases 
operation and is not immediately replaced by a commercial track in the same region that 
is owned by the same owner as the commercial track that ceased operation, all amounts 
credited to the fund established by this section must be disbursed to the remaining 
commercial tracks and to agricultural fairs based on days raced during extended meets up 
to a maximum of 100 days raced during extended meets per year and until such time as a 
new commercial track begins operation.  The payment to a commercial track or 
agricultural fair is determined by dividing the amount in the fund by 150 and multiplying 
the product by the number of days raced by that commercial track or agricultural fair.  An 
agricultural fair must receive its payment on May 30th before extended meets are held 
based on assigned dates for extended meets for that agricultural fair.  An adjustment must 
be made no later than the January 30th following the extended meets that results in 
payment to an agricultural fair based on days actually raced during extended meets by 
that agricultural fair.  Any amount remaining in the fund on January 30th after payments 
are made to commercial tracks and agricultural fairs must be transferred to the operating 
account of the commission under section 267-A. 
For the purposes of this subsection, "region" is determined by measuring a distance of 50 
miles from the center of the racing track along the most commonly used roadway, as 
determined by the Department of Transportation, drawing a circle around the center of 
the racing track using that 50-mile measurement and excluding those municipalities or 
unorganized territories that do not have boundaries contained entirely by that circle. 
Sec. 4.  8 MRSA §1036, sub-§2, ¶H, as amended by PL 2011, c. 358, §4, is 
further amended to read: 
H.  Four percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to 
the Treasurer of State, who shall credit the money to the Fund to Encourage Racing at 
Maine's Commercial Tracks, established in section 299; however, the payment 
required by this paragraph is terminated when all commercial tracks have obtained a 
license to operate slot machines in accordance with this chapter, in which case, that 
4% of the net slot machine income must be credited to the General Fund as 
undedicated revenue; 
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill removes the provision of law that terminates certain payments of net slot 
machine income to the Fund to Encourage Racing at Maine's Commercial Tracks when 
all commercial tracks have obtained a license to operate slot machines.  It also provides 
that if a commercial track ceases operation and is not immediately replaced by a 
commercial track in the same region that is owned by the same owner as the commercial 
track that ceased operation, all amounts in the fund must be disbursed to the remaining 
commercial tracks and to agricultural fairs based on days raced during extended meets up 
to a maximum of 100 days raced during extended meets per year and until such time as a 
new commercial track begins operation. 
A commercial track or agricultural fair receives a payment per race day equal to the 
quotient of the amount in the fund divided by 150.  Any amount remaining in the fund 
after payments are made to commercial tracks and agricultural fairs must be transferred to 
the operating account of the Harness Racing Commission.