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SB-1409 • 2026

Horse racing: charity days.

Horse racing: charity days.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Rubio
Last action
2026-04-09
Official status
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how beneficiaries are chosen or what happens if a racing association changes its schedule after being licensed.

Horse Racing Charity Days

This law changes the requirement for horse racing associations to designate charity days based on the duration of their racing season, from 14 weeks or less to 12 weeks or less.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the number of weeks a horse racing association must conduct races before they are required to have charity days.
  • Requires racing associations that run for 12 weeks or less to designate 3 charity days.
  • Requires racing associations that run for more than 12 weeks to designate 5 charity days.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Licensed horse racing associations in California
  • Beneficiaries who receive proceeds from charity days

Terms To Know

Charity Days
Special race days where the money made is given to help people or causes.
Licensed Racing Association
A group that has permission from the state to organize horse races.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the beneficiaries are chosen.
  • It is unclear what happens if a racing association changes its schedule after being licensed.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  2. 2026-04-08 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

  3. 2026-02-23 California Legislative Information

    Read first time.

  4. 2026-02-23 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.

  5. 2026-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 1409, as amended, Rubio.
Legislature: bills.
Horse racing: charity days.
Existing law requires each licensed racing association that conducts 14 weeks or less of racing to designate 3 racing days, and each licensed racing association that conducts more than 14 weeks of racing to designate 5 racing days during any one meeting, to be conducted as charity days for the purpose of distributing the net proceeds to beneficiaries.
This bill would instead require each licensed racing association that conducts 12 weeks or less of racing to designate 3 racing days, and each licensed racing association that conducts more than 12 weeks of racing to designate 5 racing days during any one meeting, to be conducted as charity days for the
purpose of distributing the net proceeds to beneficiaries.
The California Constitution vests the legislative power of the state in the Legislature, which consists of the Senate and Assembly. The Legislature may make law only by the enactment of a statute, and may enact a statute only by bill.
This bill would require a bill introduced in the Legislature to be assigned a bill number that identifies the applicable legislative session, as provided. The bill would require the Secretary of the Senate, Chief Clerk of the Assembly, and Legislative Counsel Bureau to ensure that all legislative publications, indexes, journals, databases, and electronic
systems use and display that bill number.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF