Bill > SB45

This bill, the "Rural Georgia Jobs and Growth Act", proposes to amend the state government code to provide for pari-mutuel horse racing in Georgia at a limited number of licensed equestrian centers. It would create the Georgia Horse Racing Commission to comprehensively regulate pari-mutuel and related activities, including licensing participants, manufacturers, and distributors. The bill sets criteria for awarding equestrian facility licenses, establishes revenue sharing and tax provisions, and creates criminal penalties for activities intended to improperly influence or alter the outcome of horse races or pari-mutuel wagering. The bill also enters Georgia into the Interstate Compact on Licensure of Participants in Live Racing with Pari-mutuel Wagering. The bill would only take effect if a state constitutional amendment authorizing pari-mutuel wagering is passed by the General Assembly and ratified by voters in 2020.