(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the live racing or the audiovisual signals of any licensed association or fair in this state are disrupted or interrupted so as to cause the cessation of the live racing or audiovisual signals and the cause is a natural disaster outside the control of the association or fair conducting the racing or satellite wagering, as determined by the executive director of the board, the executive director may, at the request of the licensed association or fair and the organization representing horsemen at the race meeting, temporarily authorize the conduct of satellite wagering, including the transmission and reception of audiovisual signals, from any zone in the state or from any location outside this state. However, audiovisual signals emanating from within the state shall have preference over audiovisual signals from locations outside this state, and any transmission shall be subject to the conditions specified in subdivisions (a) to (e), inclusive, of Section 19605.3.

(b) As used in this section, “natural disaster” means fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, or earthquake.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 936, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2002.)