Bill

SB 1971

85(R) - 2017
Senate Agriculture, Water, & Rural Affairs
Senate Agriculture, Water, & Rural Affairs
Finance
Sports

Vote Recommendation

No
  • Negative
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Negative
  • Neutral

Author(s)

Dawn Buckingham
Lois Kolkhorst

Bill Caption

Relating to the deposit and allocation of certain funds to the Texas Racing Commission escrow account for purses.

Fiscal Notes

A negative impact of ($108,691,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2019. The bill would take effect only if a specific appropriation for the implementation of the bill is provided in a General Appropriations Act of the Eighty-fifth Legislature.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill. 

Bill Analysis

Under current law, the Texas Racing Act provides financial supplements and monetary awards to breeders and owners of Texas-bred greyhounds and horses. SB 1971 would dedicate many more funding sources to such supplements, including administrative penalties imposed under the Agricultural Code that are currently credited to the general revenue fund. This bill would also create a purse matching fund to incentivize economic development in the horse and dog racing industries.

Vote Recommendation Notes

This bill infringes on the principle of limited government by expanding the Texas-bred program and diverting agricultural administrative penalties away from the general revenue. In addition, dedicating more funds to such incentives infringes on the principle of the free market by generating more state-induced market distortion. Economic incentive programs such as this should be abolished, not expanded. For these reasons, we oppose SB 1971.