19531.
(a) The board shall make allocations of racing weeks, including simultaneous racing between zones, as it deems appropriate. The maximum number of racing weeks that may be allocated for horse racing other than at fairs, shall be as follows:(1) For thoroughbred racing: 44 weeks per year in the northern zone; and 49 weeks per year in the combined central and southern zones.
(2) For harness racing: 25 weeks per year in the northern zone.
(3) For quarter horse racing: 25 weeks per year in the northern zone.
(4) For harness racing and quarter horse racing: a total of 77 weeks per year in the combined central and southern zones.
(b) In its written application for a license, an applicant shall state the time of day, consistent with this chapter, during which it will conduct its racing meeting, and particularly the first race starting time for the various racing days. After receiving a license, a licensee shall not change the first race starting time without securing prior approval of the board.
(c) Notwithstanding this section or any other provision in this chapter, the following provisions apply:
(1) From the weeks available in the combined central and southern zones pursuant to subdivision (a), the board shall allocate a minimum of seven weeks per year to a thoroughbred racing association to conduct thoroughbred racing at a racetrack that was used to conduct a thoroughbred race meeting in the southern zone prior to 2012.
(2) The board shall not allocate dates to a thoroughbred association in the central zone for the purpose of conducting racing if a thoroughbred racing association is conducting racing in the southern zone on the same date during daytime hours.
(3) From the weeks available in the combined central and southern zones pursuant to subdivision (a), the board shall allocate a minimum of 25 weeks per year to a thoroughbred racing association to conduct thoroughbred racing at a racetrack that was used to conduct a thoroughbred race meeting in the central zone prior to 2012.
(4) The board shall not allocate dates to a thoroughbred association in the southern zone for the purpose of conducting racing if a thoroughbred racing association is conducting racing in the central zone on the same date during daytime hours.
(5) From the weeks available in the combined central and southern zones pursuant to subdivision (a), the board may allocate a maximum of five weeks per year to a thoroughbred racing association to conduct thoroughbred racing at a racetrack in the southern zone that was not used to conduct a thoroughbred race meeting in the southern zone prior to 2012.
(d) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, if the board does not license a thoroughbred race meet to be conducted by a racing association at a racetrack located in the cities of Berkeley and Albany after July 1, 2024, a thoroughbred racing association, or racing fair, in the southern or central zone licensed by the board to conduct a thoroughbred race meet or fair meet shall, during racing weeks not allocated by the board for a race meet in the northern zone, be deemed to be operating in the northern zone for the purpose of conducting all permissible forms of wagering in the northern zone pursuant to this chapter and making and receiving required distributions from those wagers in accordance with this chapter.
(2) Required distributions described in paragraph (1) shall be made in accordance with the requirements applicable to a racing association in the northern zone and any consent or approval rights shall be exercised by the appropriate racing association or racing fair in the central or southern zone conducting racing.
(3) The amounts generated for purses and commissions pursuant to this subdivision shall be used to pay simulcast funding requirements and board support that the thoroughbred racing associations and racing fair in the central or southern zones are required to make under Section 19616.51. Any remaining funds after those payments are made shall be distributed to each thoroughbred racing association and racing fair in the central and southern zone proportionally based on their respective handle in the central and southern zone during the previous fiscal year and that money shall be divided between purses and commissions in the same relative proportion as was generated in the central and southern zone during the previous fiscal year.