§ 60 — Race Horse Development Fund

Section 60. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a Race Horse Development Fund to be administered by the commission. The fund shall consist of monies deposited under subsection (c) of section 55. The commission shall make distributions from the Race Horse Development Fund to each licensee under chapter 128A.(b) There shall be a horse racing committee consisting of 5 members, 1 of whom shall be the governor or the governor's designee who shall serve as chair, 1 of whom shall be the treasurer and receiver general or the treasurer's designee, 1 of whom shall be the chair of the commission or the chair's designee, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the New England Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association and the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeding Program and 1 of whom shall be appointed by the Harness Horseman's Association of New England and the Massachusetts Standardbred Breeding Program. The horse racing committee shall make recommendations on how the funds received in subsection (a) shall be distributed between thoroughbred and standardbred racing facilities to support the thoroughbred and standardbred horse racing industries under this section. In making its recommendations, the committee shall consider certain criteria including, but not limited to: (i) the average purses awarded at thoroughbred and standardbred racing facilities; (ii) the total employment numbers, both direct and indirect, attributable to each horse racing industry; (iii) the relative needs of each horse racing industry for increased purses; (iv) the amount of the live racing handle generated by each horse racing industry; and (v) the number of breeding and training farms of each industry that are located in the commonwealth. The committee shall submit distribution recommendations to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives not later than 30 days before submitting the recommendations to the commission for final approval. The commission shall only change the distribution percentage upon a recommendation by the committee.(c) Funds received from the Race Horse Development Fund shall be distributed between thoroughbred and standardbred accounts, as approved by the commission, as follows:(i) 80 per cent of the funds approved by the commission shall be deposited weekly into a separate, interest-bearing purse account to be established by and for the benefit of the horsemen; provided, however, that the earned interest on the account shall be credited to the purse account; and provided further, that licensees shall combine these funds with revenues from existing purse agreements to fund purses for live races consistent with those agreements with the advice and consent of the horsemen;(ii) 16 per cent of the funds approved by the commission shall be deposited as follows: (A) for a thoroughbred track, into the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeding Program authorized by the commission; or (B) for a standardbred track, into the Massachusetts Standardbred Breeding Program authorized by the commission;(iii) 4 per cent shall be used to fund health and pension benefits for the members of the horsemen's organizations representing the owners and trainers at a horse racing facility for the benefit of the organization's members, their families, employees and others under the rule and eligibility requirements of the organization, as approved by the commission; provided, however, that this amount shall be deposited within 5 business days of the end of each month into a separate account to be established by each respective horsemen's organization at a banking institution of its choice; and provided further, that of this amount, the commission shall determine how much shall be paid annually by the horsemen's organization to the thoroughbred jockeys or standardbred drivers organization at the horse racing facility for health insurance, life insurance or other benefits to active and disabled thoroughbred jockeys or standardbred drivers under the rules and eligibility requirements of that organization.