(a) (1) The board may, at any time, immediately suspend a license to conduct a racing meeting when necessary to protect the health and safety of the horses or riders that are present at the racing meeting.
(2) The suspension shall require a vote of at least four members of the board.
(3) The suspension shall remain in effect until the board determines that the matters jeopardizing the health and safety of the horses or riders that are present at the racing meeting have been adequately addressed.
(4) As a condition of lifting the suspension, the board may require a licensee to comply with additional safety standards or other requirements as it deems necessary or desirable for the best interests of horse racing and the purposes of this chapter.
(5) The suspension is not a revocation subject to the proceedings required by Section 19461, regardless of any effect on a license issued under this chapter.
(b) (1) Notwithstanding the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), an emergency meeting may be called at any time by the chairperson of the board, the executive director, or by a majority of the members of the board to consider suspending a license to conduct a racing meeting when there exists an emergency situation involving matters upon which prompt action is necessary to protect the health and safety of the horses or riders that are present at the racing meeting.
(2) An emergency meeting held pursuant to this section is exempt from the 10-day notice requirement of Section 11125 of the Government Code or the 48-hour notice requirement of Section 11125.4 of the Government Code if the delay necessitated by those requirements would significantly and adversely impact the board’s ability to protect the health and safety of the horses or riders that were present at the racing meeting.
(3) Before the commencement of the emergency meeting, the board shall make a finding in open session that the delay necessitated by providing the 10-day notice required by Section 11125 of the Government Code or 48 hours before a meeting as required by Section 11125.4 of the Government Code would significantly and adversely impact the board’s ability to protect the health and safety of the horses or riders that are present at that racing meeting. The finding shall be adopted by a vote of at least four members of the board. Failure to adopt the finding shall terminate the meeting.
(4) Newspapers of general circulation and radio or television stations that have requested notice of meetings pursuant to Section 11125 of the Government Code shall be notified by the executive director, or a designee thereof, at least one hour before the emergency meeting by telephone. Notice shall also be made available on the board’s internet website as soon as is practicable after the decision to call the emergency meeting has been made. Notwithstanding Section 11125 of the Government Code, the board may take action at the emergency meeting on an item of business involving the emergency situation that is not included in the agenda, if any, that accompanies a notice provided pursuant to this paragraph.
(5) The minutes of the emergency meeting, a copy of the rollcall vote, and any action taken at the meeting shall be posted for a minimum of 10 days in a public place as soon after the meeting as is possible.
(c) (1) It is unlawful to conduct a racing meeting under a license suspended pursuant to this section or, if the suspension is lifted, without meeting a condition imposed pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (a).
(2) The board shall review any action taken under this section within 10 calendar days.
(3) Nothing in this section supersedes or limits the board’s authority to suspend or deny a license under any other law, rule, or regulation.
(d) The board shall adopt emergency regulations pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code to implement this section. The board may readopt, pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, any emergency regulation authorized by this section that is the same as, or substantially equivalent to, an emergency regulation previously adopted as authorized by this section. No such regulation shall be readopted on an emergency basis pursuant to this section more than a total of two times. Notwithstanding any other law, the initial adoption of emergency regulations and the readoption of emergency regulations authorized by this section shall be deemed an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or general welfare.
(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 22, Sec. 1. (SB 469) Effective June 26, 2019.)