H. B. 3120


(By Delegates DeLong and Swartzmiller)
[Introduced March 30, 2001; referred to the
Committee on Government Organization.]




A BILL to amend and reenact section eight, article twenty-three, chapter nineteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to authority of the racing commission; broadening the commission's authority to approve or reject license applications.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section eight, article twenty-three, chapter nineteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
 ARTICLE 23. HORSE AND DOG RACING.
§19-23-8. Consideration of application for license or permit; issuance or denial; contents of license or permit; grounds for denial of application; determination of racing dates; license or permit not transferable or assignable; limitation on license; validity of permit.

(a) The racing commission shall promptly consider any application for a license or permit, as the case may be. Based upon such application and all other information before it, the racing commission shall make and enter an order either approving or denying such the application. The application shall be denied for any reason specified in subsection (b) of this section. If an application for a license is approved, the racing commission shall issue a license to conduct a horse or dog race meeting, and shall designate on the face of such the license the kind or type of horse or dog racing for which the same is issued, the racing association to which the same is issued, the dates upon which such the horse or dog race meeting is to be held or conducted (which may be any weekdays, or weeknights, including Sundays), the location of the horse or dog racetrack, place or enclosure where such the horse or dog race meeting is to be held or conducted and such other information as the racing commission shall deem consider proper. If an application for a permit is approved, the racing commission shall issue a permit and shall designate on the face of such the permit such information as the racing commission shall deem consider proper.
(b) The racing commission shall may deny the application and refuse to issue the license or permit, as the case may be, which denial and refusal shall be final and conclusive unless a hearing is demanded in accordance with the provisions of section sixteen of this article, if the racing commission finds that the applicant (individually, if an individual, or the partners or members, if a partnership, firm or association, or the owners and directors, if a corporation):
(1) Has knowingly made false statement of a material fact in the application or has knowingly failed to disclose any information called for in the application;
(2) Is or has been guilty of any corrupt or fraudulent act, practice or conduct in connection with any horse or dog race meeting in this or any other state;
(3) Has been convicted, within ten years prior to the date of such the application, of an offense which under the law of this state, of any other state or of the United States of America, shall constitute a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude;
(4) Has failed to comply with the provisions of this article or any reasonable rules and regulations of the racing commission;
(5) Has had a license to hold or conduct a horse or dog race meeting or a permit to participate therein denied for just cause, suspended or revoked in any other state;
(6) Has defaulted in the payment of any obligation or debt due to this state under the provisions of this article;
(7) Is, if a corporation, neither incorporated under the laws of this state nor qualified to do business within this state;
(8) In the case of an application for a license, has failed to furnish bond or other adequate security, if the same is required by the racing commission under the provisions of section seven of this article;
(9) In the case of an application for a permit, is unqualified to perform the duties required for the permit sought; or
(10) In the case of an application for a permit, is, for just cause, determined to be undesirable to perform the duties required of such the applicant.
(c) In issuing licenses and fixing dates for horse or dog race meetings at the various horse racetracks and dog racetracks in this state, the racing commission shall consider the horse racing circuits and dog racing circuits with which the horse racetracks and dog racetracks in this state are associated or contiguous to, and shall also consider dates which are calculated to increase the tax revenues accruing from horse racing and dog racing.
(d) A license issued under the provisions of this article is neither transferable nor assignable to any other racing association and shall may not permit the holding or conducting of a horse or dog race meeting at any horse or dog racetrack, place or enclosure not specified thereon. However, if the specified horse or dog racetrack, place or enclosure becomes unsuitable for the horse or dog race meeting because of flood, fire or other catastrophe, or cannot be used for any reason, the racing commission may, upon application, authorize the horse or dog race meeting, or any remaining portion thereof, to be conducted at any other racetrack, place or enclosure available for that purpose, provided that the owner of such the racetrack, place or enclosure willingly consents to the use thereof.
(e) No type of horse racing or dog racing shall be conducted by a licensee at any race meeting other than that type for which a license was issued.
(f) Each permit issued under the provisions of this section shall be for the period ending the thirty-first day of December thirty-first of the year for which it was issued, and shall be valid at all horse or dog race meetings during the period for which it was issued, unless it be sooner suspended or revoked in accordance with the provisions of this article. A permit issued under the provisions of this article is neither transferable nor assignable to any other person.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the racing commission's discretion in approving or denying applications for dog or horse racing licenses or permits.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.