The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PETITION OF:
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PETITION OF:
William N. Brownsberger
Denise Provost
Kay Khan
Frank I. Smizik
David Paul Linsky
Todd M. Smola
Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera
Michael E. Festa
Pamela P. Resor
Cory Atkins
Susan C. Tucker
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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 128A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding after section 14D the following section:-
Section 14E. Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter or any general or specific law to the contrary, no commercial dog racing shall be conducted or permitted in this commonwealth and the commission is hereby prohibited from accepting or approving any application or request for racing dates for live dog racing. For the purposes of the section, “commercial dog racing” refers to a racing meeting where any form of betting or wagering on the speed or ability of dogs occurs.
Any person violating any provision of this section relative to dog racing shall be subject to civil penalty of not less than twenty thousand dollars which shall be payable for to the commission and used for administrative purposes of the commission subject to appropriation.
All other provisions of this Chapter shall be construed as if they contain no references to dogs, dog racing or dog races.
SECTION 2. Chapter 10 of the General Laws is herby amended by inserting after section 69 the following section:-
Section 70. There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund known as the Greyhound Workers’ Re-Training and Support Fund which shall not be subject to further appropriation. Through May 31, 2009, all monies generated by the Greyhound Promotional Trust Fund and the Greyhound Capital Improvements Trust Fund established pursuant to section 12A of chapter 494 of the acts of 1978 shall fund the Greyhound Workers’ Re-training and Support Fund under the direction and supervision of the state racing commissioners.
The state treasurer, ex officio, shall be the custodian of the trust fund and shall receive, deposit and invest all monies received (1) under the provisions of section 5 of chapter 128A; (2) from public and private sources as gifts, grants and donations to further assist displaced commercial dog track workers; and (3) in interest earned by the fund. Any amount of the fund unexpended as of December 31, 2009 shall be deposited in the General Fund.
SECTION 3. Chapter 128C of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking in all instances the words “a sum equal to 0.25 per cent of the total amount wagered shall be paid to the Greyhound Promotional Trust Fund” and “a sum equal to 0.25 per cent of the total amount wagered shall be paid to Greyhound Capital Improvements Trust Fund” and inserting in place thereof, “a sum equal to 0.25 per cent of the total amount wagered shall be paid to the Greyhound Workers’ Re-training and Support Fund”.
SECTION 4.
Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the effective date of Section 1 of this Act shall be June 1, 2009.