| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to Palm Beach County; providing |
| 3 | legislative findings and intent; authorizing the |
| 4 | Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering of the Department of |
| 5 | Business and Professional Regulation to issue a slot |
| 6 | machine gaming license to any qualified pari-mutuel |
| 7 | facility located in Palm Beach County; providing that |
| 8 | such license may not authorize slot machine gaming |
| 9 | before a certain date; providing for payment of the |
| 10 | license fee; providing for payment of taxes and |
| 11 | regulatory fees; providing for conduct of slot machine |
| 12 | gaming operations within the designated slot machine |
| 13 | gaming area of the eligible facility; providing a |
| 14 | limitation upon the number of machines; providing for |
| 15 | renewal of the license; providing for transfer of the |
| 16 | license; providing a condition of licensure; requiring |
| 17 | a referendum; providing effective dates. |
| 18 |
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| 19 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 20 |
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| 21 | Section 1. Slot machine gaming.- |
| 22 | (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to stimulate the |
| 23 | state, regional, and local economies by authorizing slot machine |
| 24 | gaming at licensed pari-mutuel facilities in Palm Beach County. |
| 25 | Slot machine gaming is currently authorized at eight pari-mutuel |
| 26 | facilities within Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, which are |
| 27 | easily accessible to residents of Palm Beach County. The |
| 28 | Legislature finds that slot machine gaming at licensed pari- |
| 29 | mutuel facilities significantly benefits state, regional, and |
| 30 | local economies through creation of thousands of direct and |
| 31 | indirect jobs, infrastructure improvements, increases in local |
| 32 | property values and ad valorem taxes, and generation of |
| 33 | significant tax revenue for the Educational Enhancement Trust |
| 34 | Fund of the Department of Education. The Legislature recognizes |
| 35 | that the pari-mutuel industry has played an important role in |
| 36 | the economic development of this state and region, it is a vital |
| 37 | part of the economy, and many individuals and businesses provide |
| 38 | services to the pari-mutuel industry and rely upon the continued |
| 39 | vigor of the industry to survive. The Legislature also |
| 40 | recognizes that voters in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties |
| 41 | approved slot machine gaming in their respective counties and |
| 42 | the voters in Palm Beach County deserve the opportunity to |
| 43 | decide whether to approve slot machine gaming within their |
| 44 | county. |
| 45 | (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the |
| 46 | Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering of the Department of Business |
| 47 | and Professional Regulation is authorized, upon application and |
| 48 | payment of the applicable fees, to issue a license to conduct |
| 49 | slot machine gaming in accordance with chapter 551, Florida |
| 50 | Statutes, to any pari-mutuel permitholder located within Palm |
| 51 | Beach County that conducted live racing for 2 consecutive |
| 52 | calendar years immediately before its application for the slot |
| 53 | machine license, for use by the permitholder within its |
| 54 | designated slot machine gaming area. The permitholder shall pay |
| 55 | the applicable license fee and tax on slot machine revenues |
| 56 | under section 551.106, Florida Statutes, and the compulsive or |
| 57 | addictive gaming prevention program fee under section 551.118, |
| 58 | Florida Statutes. A license issued under this subsection may not |
| 59 | authorize slot machine gaming before July 7, 2015. |
| 60 | (3) Upon receiving a license to conduct slot machine |
| 61 | gaming operations, the permitholder may make available for play |
| 62 | within its property up to the maximum number of machines |
| 63 | authorized by chapter 551, Florida Statutes. The slot machine |
| 64 | gaming area may be open on the days and hours of operation |
| 65 | authorized by chapter 551, Florida Statutes. The license to |
| 66 | conduct slot machine gaming operations may be renewed by the |
| 67 | permitholder pursuant to chapter 551, Florida Statutes. The |
| 68 | license to conduct slot machine gaming operations may be |
| 69 | transferred to any entity owning the facility and qualified |
| 70 | pursuant to chapters 550 and 551, Florida Statutes. |
| 71 | (4) As a condition of licensure, the permitholder shall |
| 72 | remain in compliance with chapters 550 and 551, Florida |
| 73 | Statutes, including the payment of applicable taxes for deposit |
| 74 | in the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund of the Department of |
| 75 | Education. |
| 76 | Section 2. This act shall take effect only upon its |
| 77 | approval by a majority vote of those qualified electors of Palm |
| 78 | Beach County voting in a referendum to be held by the Board of |
| 79 | County Commissioners of Palm Beach County, in accordance with |
| 80 | the provisions of law relating to elections currently in force |
| 81 | in Palm Beach County, except that this section shall take effect |
| 82 | upon becoming a law. |