An Act To
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1590
Committee Amendment CA_A_H727 (House)
Amends: 8 MRSA §263-A, 8 MRSA §267, 8 MRSA §272-B, 8 MRSA §275-D, 8 MRSA §286, 8 MRSA §299

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "-A " to H.P. 1149, L.D. 1590, Bill, "An Act To 
Amend the Laws Relating to Harness Racing" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §263-A, sub-§1, 1A, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 528, §6, is 
amended to read: 
A. The conduct of harness racing and off-track betting facilities. including rules that 
may reduce the required number of separate live races for a licensee that is associated 
with an agricultural fair as defined in Title 7. section 81 to qualify as a racing 
program from 8 separate live races to 7 separate live races if a minimum number of 
horses is not available; 
Sec. 2. 8 MRSA §267, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2017, c. 231, §5, is repealed 
and the following enacted in its place: 
1. Budget. The department shall develop a recommended operating budget covering 
All Other account expenses for the biennium for the operating account established in 
section 267-A. The recommended budget must provide for the conduct of core activities 
necessaiy to carry out the provisions of this chapter and may allow for expenditures for 
discretionazy activities. provided those activities are consistent with the purposes of this 
chapter. The commission shall conduct a hearing. provide notice of the hearing in 
accordance with Title 5. section 9052 and receive testimony on the recommended 
operating budget. 
Notice of the hearing must be provided to persons who receive 
distributions from the funds established by sections 281. 298. 299 and 300 and Title 7. 
section 91. The commission shall make findings based on the hearing and submit its 
recommendations to the commissi9ner. who may incorporate the recommendations in the 
final draft of the recommended budget. The commissioner shall transmit the final draft of 
the recommended budget to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services. 
Bureau of the Budget as provided in Title 5. section 1665. During the biennium. the 
commission may conduct additional hearings and receive additional testimony on 
revisions to the budget, including an expenditure for a discretionazy activity. 
The 
commission may approve revisions to the budget, including an expenditure for a 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1149, L.D. 1590 
discretionary activity. if the commission determines that the activity is consist~nt with the 
provisions 9f this chapter and best serves the interest of the harness racing indystry.' 
Amend the bill l)y inserting after section 5 the following: 
'Sec. 6. 8 MRSA §272-B, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 211, §1 and affected 
by §2, is amended to read: 
1. Payment from licensee Disbursements to association. A licensee describoo-in 
section 271 shall pay The commission shall disburse to an association determined eligible 
under subsection 2 an amount not to exceed 3% of each of the following: 
A. Disbursements from the Sire Stakes Fund under section 281 for the purpose of 
supplementing purses; 
B. The purse supplement share calculated under section 286 for distribution under 
section 290; 
C. The funds designated from the commercial meet account to supplement purses 
under section 287, subsection 2; 
D. The funds designated from the extended meet account to supplement purses under 
section 289, subsection 2, paragraph B; 
E. The fund to supplement harness racing purses established under section 298 and 
receiving payment pursuant to section 1036, subsection 2, paragraph B; and 
F. Disbursements from the Agricultural Fair Support Fund under Title 7, section 91, 
subsection 2, paragraph A. 
Sec. 7. 8 MRSA §272-B, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 211, §1 and affected 
by §2, is amended to read: 
4. 
Payment Disbursements. 
Eaeh yew, upen-receipt and Yerification of the 
information required undct· subsection 2, the commission shall advise licensees of the 
maximum amount payable to the association under subsection 1. 
Total payment& 
disbursements made each year to the association under this section may not exceed the 
association's budget for that year.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 7 to 13 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 7. 8 MRSA §275-D, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 99, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
1. 
Off-track betting on simulcast racing. A person may conduct pari-mutuel 
wagering at an off-track betting facility that is licensed under this section, if the persen 
facility is licensed to aper-ate l9cated and operated within a hotel, as defined in Title 
28-A, section 2, subsection 15, paragraph H, with public dining facilities, a Class A 
lounge, as defined in Title 28-A, section 2, subsection 15, paragraph L, a Class A 
restaurant, as defined in Title 28-A, section 2, subsection 15, paragraph R, or a Class A 
restaurant/lounge, as defined in Title 28-A, section 2, subsection 15, paragraph R-1.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 15 and insetting the following: 
'Sec. 15. 8 MRSA §286, sub-§8 is enacted to read: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1149, L.D, 1590 
8. Payment from Stipend Fund. Notwithstanding any other provision of law. the 
amounts payable to the Stipend Fund under this section from an off-track betting facility 
newly licensed after Januaty 1. 202Q must be divided among all agricultural fair licensees 
based upon the number of days raced in conjun~tion with the annual agricultural fairs of 
the licensees.' 
Amend the bill in section 16 in subsection 2-A in the 6th line (page 8, line 6 in L.D.) 
by striking out the following: "and" and inserting the following: 'atl4~' 
Amend the bill in section 16 in subsection 2-A in the 6th and 7th lines (page 8, lines 6 
and 7 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "as long as that lieensee eondueted an 
ffi{ttmded meet in 2005" and inserting the following: 'as long as that licensee conducted 
an extended meet in 2005 and to each agricultural fair licensee awarded live race dates by 
the commission upon closure of an existing commercial track that is not replaced' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 16 the following: 
'Sec. 17. 8 MRSA §299, sub-§5, ,re, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 231, §25, is 
amended to read: 
C. One additional race day credit is earned for each day raced during the months of 
March and December. A maximum of -1-2 16 race day credits may be awarded per 
commercial track for the month of March and a maximum of -1-2 16 race day credits 
may be awarded per commercial track for the month of December.' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 17 the following: 
'Sec. 18. Commercial track ceases operation prior to March 1, 2021. If the 
State Harness Racing Commission as established by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 8, 
section 261-A determines that a commercial track ceased or agreed to cease operation 
prior to March 1, 2021 following a request from a bona fide statewide organization of 
horsemen in whole or in part to facilitate the prospect that a modernized commercial track 
might open, notwithstanding the requirements of Title 8, section 275-D, the commission 
may grant a license to the operator of the former commercial track or an entity controlled 
by its owners to operate an off-track betting facility in the same municipality of the 
commercial track at or after the commercial track ceases operation as a commercial track.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
Current law defines "race date" as a scheduled date awarded by the State Harness 
Racing Commission for which there is a racing program of not less than 8 separate live 
races. The amendment provides that the commission may, by rule, reduce the required 
number of separate live races for a licensee that is associated with an agricultural fair to 
qualify as a racing program from 8 separate live races to 7 separate live races if a 
minimum number of horses is not available, 
This amendment revises the way in which the Department of Agriculture, 
Conservation and Forestry develops a recommended operating budget for the operating 
account for the commission. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "4" to H.P. 1149, L.D. 1590 
The amendment strikes from the bill the requirement that an off-track betting facility 
within a SO-mile radius of a commercial track must pay 1 % of the wagers made during 
the time live racing is being conducted on race day and 0.5% of the wagers made during 
the time that live racing is not being conducted on race day. 
Cun-ent law requires licensees to pay funds to a statewide association of horsemen to 
supplement purses. The amendment requires the commission to disburse funds directly 
to a statewide association of horsemen to supplement purses. 
The amendment revises the provision in the bill that allows an off-track betting 
facility to be located within a facility licensed to serve alcohol that is owned by an owner 
other than the off-track betting facility owner. The amendment provides that a person 
may conduct pari-mutuel wagering at an off-track betting facility that is licensed if the 
facility is located and operated within a licensed hotel with public dining facilities, a 
Class A lounge, a Class A restaurant or a Class A restaurant/lounge. 
The amendment retains the requirement in cun-ent law that an applicant for an off-
track betting license notify commercial tracks within 50 miles of the proposed off-track 
betting facility. 
The amendment retains the requirement in cun-ent law that an applicant for an off-
track betting license notify and allow objections from existing off-track betting facilities 
within 35 miles. 
The amendment strikes from the bill the section relating to reduced payments for 
facilities licensed after January 1, 2019 owned by a federally recognized Indian tribe. 
The amendment provides that the amounts payable to the Stipend Fund from an off-
track betting facility newly licensed after January 1, 2020 must be divided among 
agricultural fair licensees based on the number of days raced in conjunction with the 
annual agricultural fairs of the licensees. 
The bill provides that an agricultural fair licensee qualifies for funds from the fund to 
supplement harness racing purses by conducting an extended meet, removing the 
requirement that the licensee has conducted an extended meet in 2005. The amendment 
retains this requirement. The amendment also provides that an agricultural fair licensee 
qualifies for funds from the fund to supplement harness racing purses if that fair licensee 
has been awarded live race dates by the commission upon closure of an existing 
commercial track that is not replaced. 
The amendment increases the maximum of race day credits that may be awarded per 
commercial track during the months of March and December from 12 to 16. 
The amendment provides that if the commission determines that a commercial track 
ceased or agreed to cease operation prior to March 1, 2021 following a request from a 
bona fide statewide organization of horsemen to facilitate the prospect that a modernized 
commercial track might open, notwithstanding the requirements of the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 8, section 275-D, the operator of the former commercial track or an entity 
controlled by its owners is entitled to a license to operate an off-track betting facility in 
the same municipality of the commercial track at or after the time the commercial track 
ceases operation as a commercial track. 
FISCALNOTEREQUIRW 
(See attaebed) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 03/03/20 Mac 
LD 1590 
LR 1279(02) 
An Act To Amend the Laws Relating to Harness Racing 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment A• (H-o/ 27) 
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Any additional costs to the Harness Racing Conunission within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestty as a result of changes to laws regarding the scheduling of race days, the method the department uses to 
develop an annual budget for the commission, reporting requirements to conduct racing events and qualifications to 
receive disbursements are anticipated to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. Changes to 
the number of entities eligible to receive disbursements or to the amount of disbursement they are eligible to receive 
will impact the ratio of funds distributed to each entity, but will not change the total amount disbursed. 
LR1279(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1