STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10240
IN ASSEMBLY
February 12, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Racing and Wagering
AN ACT to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in
relation to additional qualifications for the board members of
regional off-track betting corporations
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 502 of the racing, pari-mutuel
2 wagering and breeding law, as amended by chapter 710 of the laws of
3 1990, is amended to read as follows:
4 1. a. A regional off-track betting corporation is hereby established
5 for each region, except the New York city region for which the New York
6 city off-track betting corporation established pursuant to and subject
7 to article six of this chapter shall constitute the regional corporation
8 and such article six shall govern such New York city off-track betting
9 corporation. Each regional corporation shall be a body corporate and
10 politic constituting a public benefit corporation. Each corporation
11 shall be administered by a board of directors consisting of two members
12 from each participating county containing a city of over one hundred
13 fifty thousand in population, according to the last federal census, and
14 one member from each other participating county. Notwithstanding any
15 other provision of law to the contrary, the members shall be appointed
16 by the county governing body, and may, at the discretion of such govern-
17 ing body of counties which have a population of less than two hundred
18 thousand, include sitting members of such governing body. A member of a
19 governing body who is appointed a director after July first, nineteen
20 hundred ninety shall not be compensated by the regional corporation;
21 provided, however, that the mayor of a city of over one hundred fifty
22 thousand that has elected to participate in the management of a corpo-
23 ration pursuant to subdivision two of this section shall, with the
24 approval of the city's legislative body, appoint one of the members to
25 which the county containing such city is entitled. In the case of the
26 corporation established for the Suffolk region and Nassau region, the
27 board of directors of each corporation shall consist of three members
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14846-01-6
A. 10240 2
1 appointed by the governing body of each county, not more than two of
2 whom shall be members of the same political party. Each director shall
3 serve at the pleasure of the governing body or mayor appointing [him]
4 such director, as the case may be. A [chairman] chair shall be elected
5 by the members to serve a term of one year.
6 b. (i) No person who has served as an officer or employee of the
7 corporation shall within a period of four years after the termination of
8 such service or employment be appointed or qualified as a member of, or
9 appear or practice before, the corporation, or receive compensation for
10 any services rendered by such former officer or employee on behalf of
11 the corporation or any other person, firm, corporation or association in
12 relation to any proceeding or application or other matter before such
13 corporation.
14 (ii) No person who has served as a member of the corporation shall
15 within a period of four years after that person's termination of such
16 service regardless of the reason for termination receive compensation
17 for any services on behalf of any person, firm, corporation or associ-
18 ation to promote or oppose, directly or indirectly, the passage of
19 resolutions by the board of directors. No member shall within a period
20 of four years after termination of such service regardless of the reason
21 for termination receive compensation for any services on behalf of any
22 person, firm, corporation or association to appear, practice or directly
23 communicate before the corporation to promote or oppose the passage of
24 resolutions by the board of directors.
25 (iii) No person who has previously served as a member of the board of
26 directors shall be eligible for reappointment to the board once that
27 member's service has terminated, regardless of the reason for termi-
28 nation. This prohibition shall apply immediately, indefinitely and with-
29 out exception.
30 c. No person who is appointed to be a member of the board of directors
31 may attend or participate in any board meetings, including executive
32 sessions, until that person's application for a license has been
33 approved by the commission.
34 § 2. Subdivisions 6 and 7 of section 502-a of the racing, pari-mutuel
35 wagering and breeding law are renumbered subdivisions 7 and 8 and a new
36 subdivision 6 is added to read as follows:
37 6. a. (i) No person who has served as an officer or employee of the
38 corporation shall within a period of four years after the termination of
39 such service or employment be appointed or qualified as a member of, or
40 appear or practice before, the corporation, or receive compensation for
41 any services rendered by such former officer or employee on behalf of
42 the corporation or any other person, firm, corporation or association in
43 relation to any proceeding or application or other matter before such
44 corporation.
45 (ii) No person who has served as a member of the corporation shall
46 within a period of four years after that person's termination of such
47 service regardless of the reason for termination receive compensation
48 for any services on behalf of any person, firm, corporation or associ-
49 ation to promote or oppose, directly or indirectly, the passage of
50 resolutions by the board of directors. No member shall within a period
51 of four years after termination of such service regardless of the reason
52 for termination receive compensation for any services on behalf of any
53 person, firm, corporation or association to appear, practice or directly
54 communicate before the corporation to promote or oppose the passage of
55 resolutions by the board of directors.
A. 10240 3
1 (iii) No person who has previously served as a member of the board of
2 directors shall be eligible for reappointment to the board once that
3 member's service has terminated, regardless of the reason for termi-
4 nation. This prohibition shall apply immediately, indefinitely and with-
5 out exception.
6 b. No person who is appointed to be a member of the board of directors
7 may attend or participate in any board meetings, including executive
8 sessions, until that person's application for a license has been
9 approved by the commission.
10 § 3. Subdivision 2 of section 603 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering
11 and breeding law, as amended by chapter 115 of the laws of 2008, is
12 amended to read as follows:
13 2. a. Of the directors, one shall be appointed for a term ending on
14 December thirty-first, two thousand nine, one for a term ending on
15 December thirty-first, two thousand ten, one for a term ending on Decem-
16 ber thirty-first, two thousand twelve, and the two directors appointed
17 on the recommendation of the temporary president of the senate and the
18 speaker of the assembly, for a term ending December thirty-first, two
19 thousand fourteen. Upon the expiration of such terms, the terms of
20 office of their successors shall be six years. Vacancies occurring
21 otherwise than by expiration of term shall be filled for the unexpired
22 term.
23 b. (i) No person who has served as an officer or employee of the
24 corporation shall within a period of four years after the termination of
25 such service or employment be appointed or qualified as a member of, or
26 appear or practice before, the corporation, or receive compensation for
27 any services rendered by such former officer or employee on behalf of
28 the corporation or any other person, firm, corporation or association in
29 relation to any proceeding or application or other matter before such
30 corporation.
31 (ii) No person who has served as a member of the corporation shall
32 within a period of four years after that person's termination of such
33 service regardless of the reason for termination receive compensation
34 for any services on behalf of any person, firm, corporation or associ-
35 ation to promote or oppose, directly or indirectly, the passage of
36 resolutions by the board of directors. No member shall within a period
37 of four years after termination of such service regardless of the reason
38 for termination receive compensation for any services on behalf of any
39 person, firm, corporation or association to appear, practice or directly
40 communicate before the corporation to promote or oppose the passage of
41 resolutions by the board of directors.
42 (iii) No person who has previously served as a member of the board of
43 directors shall be eligible for reappointment to the board once that
44 member's service has terminated, regardless of the reason for termi-
45 nation. This prohibition shall apply immediately, indefinitely and with-
46 out exception.
47 c. No person who is appointed to be a member of the board of directors
48 may attend or participate in any board meetings, including executive
49 sessions, until that person's application for a license has been
50 approved by the commission.
51 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
52 the amendments to section 502-a of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and
53 breeding law made by section two of this act shall not affect the expi-
54 ration and repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed there-
55 with.
