§ 5:5-165 — Compact committee, powers and duties, voting, administration and management, immunity.

5. Compact committee, powers and duties, voting, administration and management, immunity. a. There is hereby created an interstate governmental entity to be known as the "compact committee," which shall be comprised of one official from the racing commission, or its equivalent, in each party state who shall be appointed, serve and be subject to removal in accordance with the laws of the party state the official represents. Pursuant to the laws of the respective party state, each official shall have the assistance of the party state's racing commission, or the equivalent thereof, in considering issues related to licensing participants in live racing and in fulfilling the official's responsibilities as the representative from the party state to the compact committee. If an official is unable to perform any duty in connection with the powers and duties of the compact committee, the racing commission, or equivalent thereof, from the respective party state shall designate another of its members as an alternate who shall serve in the original official's place and represent the party state as its official on the compact committee until that racing commission, or equivalent thereof, determines that the original representative official is able once again to perform the official's duties as that party state's representative official on the compact committee. The designation of an alternate shall be communicated by the affected state's racing commission, or equivalent thereof, to the compact committee as the committee's bylaws may provide. b. In order to carry out the purposes of this compact, the compact committee is hereby granted the power and duty to: (1) Determine which categories of participants in live parimutuel racing, including but not limited to owners, trainers, jockeys, drivers, grooms, mutuel clerks, racing officials, veterinarians, farriers and others, should be licensed by the committee, and establish the requirements for the initial licensure of applicants in each such category, the term of the license for each category, and the requirements for renewal of licenses in each category. Provided, however, that with regard to all licensure requirements, including requests for criminal history record information, the effect of a criminal record on the issuance or renewal of a license, and with regard to the weight given to information relevant to an applicant's character or integrity in determining the issuance or renewal of a license, the compact committee shall determine for each category of participants in live racing which licensure requirements for that category are, in its judgment, the most restrictive licensure requirements of any party state for that category and shall adopt licensure requirements for that category that are, in its judgment, comparable to those most restrictive requirements. (2) Investigate applicants for a license from the compact committee and, as permitted by federal and state law, gather information on such applicants, including criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and relevant state and local law enforcement agencies, and, where appropriate, from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and law enforcement agencies of other countries, necessary to determine whether a license should be issued or renewed under the licensure requirements established by the committee as provided in paragraph 1 of this subsection. Only officials on, and employees of, the compact committee may receive and review such criminal history record information, and those officials and employees may use that information only for the purposes of this compact. The fingerprints of each applicant for a license from the compact committee shall be taken by the compact committee, its employees, or its designee and, pursuant to Public Law 92-544 or Public Law 100-413, shall be forwarded to a state identification bureau, or to an association of state officials regulating parimutuel wagering designated by the Attorney General of the United States, for submission to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a criminal history record check. Such fingerprints may be submitted on a fingerprint card or by electronic or other means authorized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation or other receiving law enforcement agency. (3) Issue licenses to, and renew the licenses of, participants in live racing listed in paragraph 1 of this subsection who are found by the committee to have met the licensure and renewal requirements established by the committee. The compact committee shall not have the power or authority to deny a license. If it determines that an applicant will not be eligible for the issuance or renewal of a compact committee license, the compact committee shall notify the applicant that it will not be able to process the application further. Such notification does not constitute and shall not be considered to be the denial of a license. Any such applicant shall have the right to present additional evidence to, and to be heard by, the compact committee, but the final decision on issuance or renewal of the license shall be made by the compact committee using the requirements established pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection. (4) Enter into contracts or agreements with governmental agencies and with non-governmental persons to provide personal services for its activities and such other services as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this compact. (5) Create, appoint, and abolish those offices, employments, and positions, including an executive director, as it deems necessary for the purposes of this compact, prescribe their powers, duties and qualifications, hire persons to fill those offices, employments and positions, and provide for the removal, term, tenure, compensation, fringe benefits, retirement benefits and other conditions of employment of its officers, employees and other positions. (6) Borrow, accept, or contract for the services of personnel from any state, the United States, or any other governmental agency, or from any person, firm, association, corporation or other entity. (7) Acquire, hold, and dispose of real and personal property by gift, purchase, lease, license, or in other similar manner, in furtherance of the purposes of this compact. (8) Charge a fee to each applicant for an initial license or renewal of a license. (9) Receive other funds through gifts, grants and appropriations. c. (1) Each official shall be entitled to one vote on the compact committee. (2) All action taken by the compact committee with regard to the addition of party states as provided in subsection a. of section 4 of P.L.2006, c.4 (C.5:5-164), the licensure of participants in live racing, and the receipt and disbursement of funds shall require a majority vote of the total number of officials, or their alternates, on the committee. All other action by the compact committee shall require a majority vote of those officials, or their alternates, present and voting. (3) No action of the compact committee may be taken unless a quorum is present. A majority of the officials, or their alternates, on the compact committee shall constitute a quorum. d. (1) The compact committee shall elect annually from among its members a chairman, a vice-chairman, and a secretary/treasurer. (2) The compact committee shall adopt bylaws for the conduct of its business by a two-thirds vote of the total number of officials, or their alternates, on the committee at that time and shall have the power by the same vote to amend and rescind these bylaws. The committee shall publish its bylaws in convenient form and shall file a copy thereof and a copy of any amendments thereto with the secretary of the state, or equivalent agency, of each of the party states. (3) The compact committee may delegate the day-to-day management and administration of its duties and responsibilities to an executive director and his support staff. (4) Employees of the compact committee shall be considered governmental employees. e. No official of a party state or employee of the compact committee shall be held personally liable for any good faith act or omission that occurs during the performance and within the scope of his responsibilities and duties under this compact. L.2006,c.4,s.5.