Honorable Tommy Williams, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1494 by Hinojosa (Relating to the licensing and regulation of horse and greyhound racing; providing penalties; authorizing a fee.), As Introduced
The bill would amend the Texas Racing Act in Vernon's Civil Statutes to make unlawful wagering on a greyhound or horse race a Class B misdemeanor, a Class A misdemeanor, or a third degree felony, depending upon the circumstances. The bill would also make it an offense to knowingly allow a race animal to participate in a race with pari-mutuel wagering while the animal has a prohibited substance in its system. The offense would be punishable as a Class A misdemeanor or third degree felony, depending upon the circumstances. The bill would also increase the punishment for pari-mutuel racing without a license from a Class A misdemeanor to a third degree felony if the person accepts a wager from a person in this state by telephone or over the Internet.
A Class B misdemeanor is punishable by confinement in county jail for a term not to exceed 180 days and/or a fine not to exceed $2,000. A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by confinement in county jail for a term not to exceed one year and/or a fine not to exceed $4,000. A third degree felony is punishable by confinement in prison for a term of two to ten years and, in addition to confinement, an optional fine not to exceed $10,000.
The bill's provisions create new offenses involving greyhound and horse racing and also enhance the punishment for an existing offense involving greyhound and horse racing. This change is expected to increase demands on state and county correctional resources by increasing the number of offenders eligible for confinement in state and county correctional facilities and/ or parole and by increasing the length of stay for persons confined in state and county correctional facilities. However, it is assumed that the number of offenders supervised or incarcerated under this statute would not significantly impact state correctional agency resources. In fiscal year 2012, there were 18 arrests, 14 community supervision placements (11 felony and three misdemeanor), and no admissions to prison for the offenses involving the Texas Racing Act in Vernon's Civil Statutes.