Kentucky Statutes 230.225 – Kentucky Horse Racing Commission — Membership — Terms — Compensation — Office — Meetings — Responsibilities — Administrative regulations
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(1) The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission is created as an independent agency of state government to regulate the conduct of horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, sports wagering, and related activities within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The racing commission shall be attached to the Public Protection Cabinet for administrative purposes.
(2) (a) The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission shall consist of fifteen (15) members appointed by the Governor, with the secretaries of the Public Protection Cabinet, Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, and Economic Development Cabinet, or their designees, serving as ex officio nonvoting members.
(b) Two (2) members shall have no financial interest in the business or industry regulated.
(c) The members of the racing commission shall be appointed to serve for a term of four (4) years, except the initial terms shall be staggered as follows:
1. Five (5) members shall serve for a term of four (4) years;
2. Five (5) members shall serve for a term of three (3) years; and
3. Five (5) members shall serve for a term of two (2) years.
(d) Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring other than by expiration of a term shall be appointed for the remainder of the unexpired term.
(e) In making appointments, the Governor may consider members broadly representative of the Thoroughbred industry and members broadly representative of the standardbred, quarter horse, Appaloosa, or Arabian industries. The Governor may also consider recommendations from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, Inc., the Kentucky Division of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, the Kentucky Harness Horsemen’s Association, and other interested organizations.
(3) (a) Members of the racing commission shall receive no compensation for serving on the commission, but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses for attending meetings and performing other official functions consistent with the reimbursement policy for state employees established by KRS § 45.101 and administrative regulations promulgated thereunder.
(b) The Governor shall appoint one (1) member of the racing commission to serve as its chairperson who shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.
(c) The Governor shall further designate a second member to serve as vice chair with authority to act in the absence of the chairperson.
(d) Before entering upon the discharge of their duties, all members of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission shall take the constitutional oath of office.
(4) (a) The racing commission shall establish and maintain a general office for the transaction of its business and may in its discretion establish a branch office
or offices.
(b) The racing commission may hold meetings at any of its offices or at any other place when the convenience of the racing commission requires.
(c) All meetings of the racing commission shall be open and public, and all persons shall be permitted to attend meetings.
(d) A majority of the voting members of the racing commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of its business or exercise of any of its powers.
(5) Except as otherwise provided, the racing commission shall be responsible for the following:
(a) Developing and implementing programs designed to ensure the safety and well-being of horses, jockeys, and drivers;
(b) Developing programs and procedures that will aggressively fulfill its oversight and regulatory role on such matters as medical practices and integrity issues;
(c) Recommending tax incentives and implementing incentive programs to ensure the strength and growth of the equine industry;
(d) Designing and implementing programs that strengthen the ties between Kentucky’s horse industry and the state’s universities, with the goal of significantly increasing the economic impact of the horse industry on Kentucky’s economy, improving research for the purpose of promoting the enhanced health and welfare of the horse, and other related industry issues;
(e) Developing and supporting programs which ensure that Kentucky remains in the forefront of equine research;
(f) Developing monitoring programs to ensure the highest integrity of sporting events and sports wagering; and
(g) Developing a program to share wagering information with sports governing bodies upon which sports wagering may be conducted. The program shall be designed to assist the racing commission in determining potential problems or questionable activity and provide reports to sports governing bodies effectively.
Effective: June 29, 2023
History: Amended 2023 Ky. Acts ch. 147, sec. 7, effective June 29, 2023. — Amended
2018 Ky. Acts ch. 9, sec. 1, effective July 14, 2018. — Repealed, reenacted, and amended 2017 Ky. Acts ch. 54, sec. 1, effective June 29, 2017. — Amended 2010
Ky. Acts ch. 24, sec. 446, effective July 15, 2010. — Amended 2009 Ky. Acts ch. 16, sec. 58, effective June 25, 2009. — Amended 2004 Ky. Acts ch. 191, sec. 3, effective July 13, 2004. — Created 1992 Ky. Acts ch. 109, sec. 1, effective March 30, 1992.
(2) (a) The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission shall consist of fifteen (15) members appointed by the Governor, with the secretaries of the Public Protection Cabinet, Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, and Economic Development Cabinet, or their designees, serving as ex officio nonvoting members.
Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes 230.225
- Arabian: means a horse that is registered with the Arabian Horse Registry of
Denver, Colorado. See Kentucky Statutes 230.210 - Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
- Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
- Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
- Quarter horse: means a horse that is registered with the American Quarter Horse
Association of Amarillo, Texas. See Kentucky Statutes 230.210 - Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
- Racing commission: means the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. See Kentucky Statutes 230.210
- Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
- Sports wagering: means the wagering conducted under this chapter on sporting events or portions of sporting events, or on the individual performance statistics of athletes in a sporting event or combination of sporting events, in conformance with federal law and as authorized by the racing commission pursuant to this chapter. See Kentucky Statutes 230.210
- State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes territories, outlying possessions, and the District of Columbia. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
(b) Two (2) members shall have no financial interest in the business or industry regulated.
(c) The members of the racing commission shall be appointed to serve for a term of four (4) years, except the initial terms shall be staggered as follows:
1. Five (5) members shall serve for a term of four (4) years;
2. Five (5) members shall serve for a term of three (3) years; and
3. Five (5) members shall serve for a term of two (2) years.
(d) Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring other than by expiration of a term shall be appointed for the remainder of the unexpired term.
(e) In making appointments, the Governor may consider members broadly representative of the Thoroughbred industry and members broadly representative of the standardbred, quarter horse, Appaloosa, or Arabian industries. The Governor may also consider recommendations from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, Inc., the Kentucky Division of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, the Kentucky Harness Horsemen’s Association, and other interested organizations.
(3) (a) Members of the racing commission shall receive no compensation for serving on the commission, but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses for attending meetings and performing other official functions consistent with the reimbursement policy for state employees established by KRS § 45.101 and administrative regulations promulgated thereunder.
(b) The Governor shall appoint one (1) member of the racing commission to serve as its chairperson who shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.
(c) The Governor shall further designate a second member to serve as vice chair with authority to act in the absence of the chairperson.
(d) Before entering upon the discharge of their duties, all members of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission shall take the constitutional oath of office.
(4) (a) The racing commission shall establish and maintain a general office for the transaction of its business and may in its discretion establish a branch office
or offices.
(b) The racing commission may hold meetings at any of its offices or at any other place when the convenience of the racing commission requires.
(c) All meetings of the racing commission shall be open and public, and all persons shall be permitted to attend meetings.
(d) A majority of the voting members of the racing commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of its business or exercise of any of its powers.
(5) Except as otherwise provided, the racing commission shall be responsible for the following:
(a) Developing and implementing programs designed to ensure the safety and well-being of horses, jockeys, and drivers;
(b) Developing programs and procedures that will aggressively fulfill its oversight and regulatory role on such matters as medical practices and integrity issues;
(c) Recommending tax incentives and implementing incentive programs to ensure the strength and growth of the equine industry;
(d) Designing and implementing programs that strengthen the ties between Kentucky’s horse industry and the state’s universities, with the goal of significantly increasing the economic impact of the horse industry on Kentucky’s economy, improving research for the purpose of promoting the enhanced health and welfare of the horse, and other related industry issues;
(e) Developing and supporting programs which ensure that Kentucky remains in the forefront of equine research;
(f) Developing monitoring programs to ensure the highest integrity of sporting events and sports wagering; and
(g) Developing a program to share wagering information with sports governing bodies upon which sports wagering may be conducted. The program shall be designed to assist the racing commission in determining potential problems or questionable activity and provide reports to sports governing bodies effectively.
Effective: June 29, 2023
History: Amended 2023 Ky. Acts ch. 147, sec. 7, effective June 29, 2023. — Amended
2018 Ky. Acts ch. 9, sec. 1, effective July 14, 2018. — Repealed, reenacted, and amended 2017 Ky. Acts ch. 54, sec. 1, effective June 29, 2017. — Amended 2010
Ky. Acts ch. 24, sec. 446, effective July 15, 2010. — Amended 2009 Ky. Acts ch. 16, sec. 58, effective June 25, 2009. — Amended 2004 Ky. Acts ch. 191, sec. 3, effective July 13, 2004. — Created 1992 Ky. Acts ch. 109, sec. 1, effective March 30, 1992.