Florida Senate - 2020 SB 1316
By Senator Thurston
33-01281-20 20201316__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to trust funds; creating s. 550.914,
3 F.S.; providing legislative findings; creating the
4 Greyhound Compensation Trust Fund within the Division
5 of Pari-mutuel Wagering within the Department of
6 Business and Professional Regulation; specifying the
7 purpose of the fund and authorized uses of the assets;
8 requiring the division to contract with a certain
9 organization to develop criteria and guidelines
10 relating to the fund; requiring that any balances in
11 the fund at the end of the fiscal year remain in the
12 fund; providing for future review and termination of
13 the fund; providing a contingent effective date.
14
15 WHEREAS, Florida has a long and rich history of greyhound
16 racing, with the first racing greyhound track in the state being
17 built in 1922, and
18 WHEREAS, afterwards, racing greyhound tracks were quickly
19 established throughout Florida, including a track in St.
20 Petersburg in 1925, a track in Miami in 1926, tracks in Sanford
21 Orlando and Miami Beach in 1927, and a track in Tampa in 1932,
22 and
23 WHEREAS, in 1931, Florida became the first state in the
24 United States to legalize wagering on greyhounds, and
25 WHEREAS, the greyhound racing industry employs thousands of
26 people in Florida, including greyhound owners, trainers, and
27 other business owners who have invested millions of dollars in
28 their greyhound-racing related businesses, and
29 WHEREAS, s. 32, Article X of the State Constitution
30 authorized greyhound racing permitholders to discontinue live
31 greyhound racing beginning December 31, 2018, and prohibits the
32 wagering on and racing of greyhounds after December 31, 2020,
33 and
34 WHEREAS, the constitutional ban on the wagering on and
35 racing of greyhounds will displace kennel operators and others
36 employed in the greyhound racing industry and has already had an
37 immediate and adverse economic impact on the investment-backed
38 expectations of greyhound racing dog owners, breeders, and other
39 property owners negatively impacted by the ban, and
40 WHEREAS, the United States Constitution and the State
41 Constitution prohibit the government from taking private
42 property through regulation, or otherwise, without providing the
43 owner just compensation, and
44 WHEREAS, it is appropriate to lessen the financial impact
45 and burden resulting from the constitutional ban on greyhound
46 racing and wagering, NOW, THEREFORE,
47
48 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
49
50 Section 1. Section 550.914, Florida Statutes, is created to
51 read:
52 550.914 Greyhound Compensation Trust Fund.—
53 (1) The Legislature finds that:
54 (a) As a result of the approval by the voters of this state
55 of the amendment to the State Constitution prohibiting the
56 wagering on and racing of greyhounds:
57 1. Thousands of people who work in the greyhound racing
58 industry will lose their jobs; and
59 2. Racing greyhound owners and kennel owners will lose
60 millions of dollars in property value; and
61 (b) It is appropriate and necessary to establish a fund to
62 compensate such persons by redirecting revenue generated by the
63 pari-mutuel industry.
64 (2) The Greyhound Compensation Trust Fund is created within
65 the division.
66 (3)(a) The fund is established for use as a depository for
67 funds to be used for compensating persons who were affected by
68 the prohibition on the wagering on and racing of greyhounds in
69 the State Constitution. Moneys to be credited to the trust fund
70 consist of funds from pari-mutuel, slot machine, and cardroom
71 revenues under this chapter, chapter 551, and s. 849.086,
72 respectively.
73 (b) The division shall contract with a statewide
74 organization whose purpose is to promote greyhound racing in
75 this state to develop criteria and guidelines for the
76 qualification of persons for compensation under this section.
77 (4) Notwithstanding s. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351,
78 any balance in the trust fund at the end of the fiscal year
79 shall remain in the trust fund at the end of the year and be
80 available for carrying out the purposes of the trust fund.
81 (5) In accordance with s. 19(f)(2), Art. III of the State
82 Constitution, the Greyhound Compensation Trust Fund, unless
83 terminated sooner, shall be terminated on July 1, 2024. Before
84 its scheduled termination, the trust fund shall be reviewed as
85 provided in s. 215.3206(1) and (2).
86 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law,
87 if SB ___ or similar legislation is adopted in the same
88 legislative session or an extension thereof and becomes a law.