17. a. The commission shall appoint a State steward and two or more associate State stewards in the case of a running race meeting and a State steward, presiding judge, and two or more associate judges in the case of a harness race meeting, which stewards and judges shall meet qualifications and standards established by the commission in rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C. 52:14B-1 et seq.); and a State veterinarian and such associate State veterinarians as the commission deems necessary, who shall be licensed or approved to practice in this State by the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, to serve at each horse race meeting held under a permit issued under this act. These officials shall devote full-time to their duties during each meeting at which they serve; shall be in the unclassified service under Title 11A (Civil Service) of the New Jersey Statutes and serve at the pleasure of the commission; and shall, where practicable, be rotated among the running race and harness tracks as appropriate. The compensation of these officials shall be fixed by the commission and shall be paid weekly by the holder of a permit at whose horse race track the officials shall serve. These officials shall have full and free access to any portion of the space or enclosure where such horse race meeting is held and shall have such powers and duties as the commission may from time to time delegate to them under the provisions of this act.

b. The commission shall employ persons to supervise the operation of mutuels at each horse race meeting held under a permit issued pursuant to P.L.1940, c.17 (C. 5:5-22 et seq.). These employees shall be in the unclassified service under Title 11A (Civil Service) of the New Jersey Statutes. The compensation of these employees shall be paid by the commission, which shall be reimbursed by the permitholders at whose racetracks these persons serve. Such compensation shall be computed based on the number of days that each person has worked at each track and shall be remitted to the commission on a monthly basis. The persons employed by the commission to supervise the operation of mutuels shall have full and free access to any portion of the space or enclosure where such horse race meeting is held and shall have such powers and duties as the commission may from time to time delegate to them under the provisions of P.L.1940, c.17 (C. 5:5-22 et seq.).

L.1940,c.17,s.17; amended 1985,c.128,s.2; 1992,c.120.