Agriculture 

Nebraska Statutes > Chapter 2 > § 2-1247 - Interstate Compact on Licensure of Participants in Horse Racing with Pari-Mutuel Wagering

The Interstate Compact on Licensure of Participants in Horse Racing with Pari-Mutuel Wagering is hereby enacted into law and entered into with all other jurisdictions legally joining therein, in the form substantially as follows:

ARTICLE I. PURPOSES

Section 1. Purposes.

The purposes of this compact are to:

1. Establish uniform requirements among the party states for the licensing of participants in live horse racing with pari-mutuel wagering, and ensure that all such participants who are licensed pursuant to this compact meet a uniform minimum standard of honesty and integrity.

2. Facilitate the growth of the horse racing industry in each party state and nationwide by simplifying the process for licensing participants in live racing, and reduce the duplicative and costly process of separate licensing by the regulatory agency in each state that conducts live horse racing with pari-mutuel wagering.

3. Authorize the Nebraska State Racing Commission to participate in this compact.

4. Provide for participation in this compact by officials of the party states, and permit those officials, through the compact committee established by this compact, to enter into contracts with governmental agencies and nongovernmental persons to carry out the purposes of this compact.

5. Establish the compact committee created by this compact as an interstate governmental entity duly authorized to request and receive criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other state and local law enforcement agencies.

ARTICLE II. DEFINITIONS

Section 2. Definitions.

"Compact committee" means the organization of officials from the party states that is authorized and empowered by this compact to carry out the purposes of this compact.

"Official" means the appointed, elected, designated or otherwise duly selected member of a racing commission or the equivalent thereof in a party state who represents that party state as a member of the compact committee.

"Participants in live racing" means participants in live horse racing with pari-mutuel wagering in the party states.

"Party state" means each state that has enacted this compact.

"State" means each of the several states of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and each territory or possession of the United States.

ARTICLE III. ENTRY INTO FORCE, ELIGIBLE PARTIES AND WITHDRAWAL

Section 3. Entry into force.

This compact shall come into force when enacted by any four (4) states. Thereafter, this compact shall become effective as to any other state upon both (i) that state's enactment of this compact and (ii) the affirmative vote of a majority of the officials on the compact committee as provided in Section 8.

Section 4. States eligible to join compact.

Any state that has adopted or authorized horse racing with pari-mutuel wagering shall be eligible to become party to this compact.

Section 5. Withdrawal from compact and impact thereof on force and effect of compact.

Any party state may withdraw from this compact by enacting a statute repealing this compact, but no such withdrawal shall become effective until the head of the executive branch of the withdrawing state has given notice in writing of such withdrawal to the head of the executive branch of all other party states. If as a result of withdrawals participation in this compact decreases to less than three (3) party states, this compact no longer shall be in force and effect unless and until there are at least three (3) or more party states again participating in this compact.

ARTICLE IV. COMPACT COMMITTEE

Section 6. Compact committee established.

There is hereby created an interstate governmental entity to be known as the "compact committee," which shall be comprised of one (1) official from the racing commission or its equivalent in each party state. The Nebraska State Racing Commission shall designate one of its members to represent the State of Nebraska as the compact committee official. A compact committee official shall be appointed, serve and be subject to removal in accordance with the laws of the party state he represents. Pursuant to the laws of his party state, each official shall have the assistance of his state's racing commission or the equivalent thereof in considering issues related to licensing of participants in live racing and in fulfilling his responsibilities as the representative from his state to the compact committee. If an official representing the State of Nebraska is unable to perform any duty in connection with the powers and duties of the compact committee, the Nebraska State Racing Commission shall designate another of its members or its executive secretary as an alternate who shall serve and represent the State of Nebraska as its official on the compact committee until the commission determines that the original representative official is able once again to perform the duties as that party state's representative official on the compact committee. The designation of an alternate shall be communicated by the Nebraska State Racing Commission to the compact committee as the committee's bylaws may provide.

Section 7. Powers and duties of compact committee.