SB 1524

83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2026 Regular Session
  Senate Bill 1524
 Sponsored by Senator HAYDEN (Presession filed.)
  SUMMARY
 The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
 to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
 measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
 standards.
  Digest: The Act uses money from the lottery to support horse racing. (Flesch Readability Score:
 64.9).
  Creates a continuing allocation of lottery revenues to support specified horse racing events and
 facilities. Becomes operative July 1, 2027.
1A BILL FOR AN ACT
2 Relating to horse racing; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 565.446 and 565.447.
3 Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
4      SECTION 1. ORS 565.447 is amended to read:
5      565.447. (1) Subject only to the availability of unobligated net lottery proceeds, there is allocated
6 from the Administrative Services Economic Development Fund to:
7      (a) The County Fair Account created under ORS 565.445 an amount equal to one percent of the
8 net proceeds from the Oregon State Lottery, but not to exceed $1.53 million annually, adjusted
9 biennially pursuant to an inflation factor determined by dividing the Consumer Price Index for All
10 Urban Consumers, West Region (All Items), as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
11 United States Department of Labor, for January 1 immediately preceding commencement of the
12 biennium, by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers of the Portland, Oregon, Standard
13 Metropolitan Statistical Area, as compiled by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of
14 Labor Statistics, for January 1, 2001[.]; and
15      (b) The Horse Racing Account established under section 3 of this 2026 Act an amount
16 equal to three-tenths of one percent of the net proceeds from the Oregon State Lottery.
17      (2) The allocation of moneys from the Administrative Services Economic Development Fund un-
18 der this section is subject to the requirements in [section 4,] Article XV, section 4, of the Oregon
19 Constitution, for deposit of specified amounts of the net proceeds from the Oregon State Lottery into
20 the Education Stability Fund and into the Parks and Natural Resources Fund and shall be made only
21 after satisfaction or payment of:
22      (a) Amounts allocated to Westside lottery bonds issued under ORS 391.140 or to the reserves
23 or any refunding related to the Westside lottery bonds in accordance with the priority for allocation
24 and disbursement established by ORS 391.130;
25      (b) All liens, pledges or other obligations relating to lottery bonds or refunding lottery bonds
26 due or payable during the year for which an allocation is to be made; and
27      (c) Amounts required by any other pledges of, or liens on, net proceeds from the Oregon State
28 Lottery.
29      SECTION 2. ORS 565.446 is amended to read:
30      565.446. The Legislative Assembly finds and declares that financial support of county fairs and
 NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
 New sections are in boldfaced type.
 LC 80
  SB 1524
1 horse racing events will result in economic development for areas where fairgrounds are located
2 by promoting, expanding or preventing the decline of businesses and that the use of the net proceeds
3 from the operation of the Oregon State Lottery to fund county fairs and horse racing events is
4 an appropriate use of state lottery funds under [section 4,] Article XV, section 4, of the Oregon
5 Constitution, and ORS 461.540.
6     SECTION 3. (1) The Horse Racing Account is established in the State Treasury, separate
7 and distinct from the General Fund. The account consists of moneys allocated under ORS
8 565.447 and all other moneys deposited in or transferred to the account by the Legislative
9 Assembly or otherwise. Interest earned by the account shall be credited to the account. The
10 moneys in the account are continuously appropriated to the Oregon Racing Commission to
11 be used as provided in subsection (2) of this section.
12     (2) The commission shall use the moneys in the account to support horse racing events
13 operated by licensees described in ORS 462.057 (2), and horse racing events held on county
14 fairgrounds in Crook County, Josephine County, Tillamook County and Union County, by
15 carrying out any of the following activities:
16     (a) Maintaining horse racing tracks at the fairgrounds;
17     (b) Supporting purse money and jockey incentives to attract better horse and human
18 athletes;
19     (c) Funding veterinarians to treat horses at the horse racing tracks and medical profes-
20 sionals to treat jockeys at the horse racing tracks;
21     (d) Purchasing horse racing safety equipment for use at the horse racing events;
22     (e) Operating the horse racing events, including paying for the costs of security and in-
23 surance; and
24     (f) Building or maintaining horse racing infrastructure that enhances or protects the
25 safety or well-being of racehorses.
26     SECTION 4. ORS 565.446 and 565.447 and section 3 of this 2026 Act are added to and made
27 a part of ORS chapter 565.
28     SECTION 5. The amendments to ORS 565.446 and 565.447 by sections 1 and 2 of this 2026
29 Act become operative July 1, 2027.
30
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