Committee/Subcommittee Amendment to PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Summary
Committee amendment form for PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026), offered by Representative Anderson at the Commerce Committee, with a title amendment, that removes everything after the enacting clause and inserts new text. The title amendment describes an act relating to pari-mutuel wagering that authorizes thoroughbred permitholders to elect not to conduct live racing or games, specifies that such permitholders retain certain permits, eligibility, exemptions, and licenses, and provides that certain permitholders are eligible to be a guest track. It also prohibits reissuance of horse permits to certain permitholders who do not pay tax on handle for live races for a specified period, and revises requirements for certain permitholders who have cardroom licenses. Section 6 states that the act takes effect July 1, 2026.
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“Committee/Subcommittee Amendment to PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026).”
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COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Amendment No.
COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE ACTION
ADOPTED (Y/N)
ADOPTED AS AMENDED (Y/N)
ADOPTED W/O OBJECTION (Y/N)
FAILED TO ADOPT (Y/N)
WITHDRAWN (Y/N)
OTHER
1 Committee/Subcommittee hearing bill: Commerce Committee
2 Representative Anderson offered the following:
3
4 Amendment (with title amendment)
5 Remove everything after the enacting clause and insert:
6 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
7 550.01215, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
8 550.01215 License application; periods of operation;
9 license fees; bond.—
10 (1) Each permitholder shall annually, during the period
11 between January 15 and February 4, file in writing with the
12 commission its application for an operating license for a pari-
13 mutuel facility for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering during
14 the next state fiscal year, including intertrack and simulcast
15 race wagering. Each application for live performances must
16 specify the number, dates, and starting times of all live
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COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Amendment No.
17 performances that the permitholder intends to conduct. It must
18 also specify which performances will be conducted as charity or
19 scholarship performances.
20 (b)1. A greyhound permitholder may not conduct live
21 racing. A jai alai permitholder, thoroughbred permitholder,
22 harness horse racing permitholder, or quarter horse racing
23 permitholder may elect not to conduct live racing or games. A
24 thoroughbred permitholder must conduct live racing. A greyhound
25 permitholder, jai alai permitholder, thoroughbred permitholder,
26 harness horse racing permitholder, or quarter horse racing
27 permitholder that does not conduct live racing or games retains
28 its permit; is a pari-mutuel facility as defined in s.
29 550.002(23); if such permitholder has been issued a slot machine
30 license, the facility where such permit is located remains an
31 eligible facility as defined in s. 551.102(4), continues to be
32 eligible for a slot machine license pursuant to s. 551.104(3),
33 and is exempt from ss. 551.104(4)(c) and (10) and s. 551.114(2);
34 is eligible, but not required, to be a guest track and, if the
35 permitholder is a harness horse racing permitholder, to be a
36 host track for purposes of intertrack wagering and simulcasting
37 pursuant to ss. 550.3551, 550.615, 550.625, and 550.6305; and
38 remains eligible for a cardroom license.
39 2. A permitholder or licensee may not conduct live
40 greyhound racing or dogracing in connection with any wager for
41 money or any other thing of value in the state. The commission
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COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Amendment No.
42 may deny, suspend, or revoke any permit or license under this
43 chapter if a permitholder or licensee conducts live greyhound
44 racing or dogracing in violation of this subparagraph. In
45 addition to, or in lieu of, denial, suspension, or revocation of
46 such permit or license, the commission may impose a civil
47 penalty of up to $5,000 against the permitholder or licensee for
48 a violation of this subparagraph. All penalties imposed and
49 collected must be deposited with the Chief Financial Officer to
50 the credit of the General Revenue Fund.
51 Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 550.09515, Florida
52 Statutes, is amended to read:
53 550.09515 Thoroughbred horse taxes; abandoned interest in
54 a permit for nonpayment of taxes.—
55 (3)(a) The permit of a thoroughbred horse permitholder who
56 is conducting live thoroughbred horse performances and who does
57 not pay tax on handle for live thoroughbred horse performances
58 for a full schedule of live races during any 2 consecutive state
59 fiscal years shall be void and shall not be reissued escheat to
60 and become the property of the state unless such failure to
61 operate and pay tax on handle was the direct result of fire,
62 strike, war, or other disaster or event beyond the ability of
63 the permitholder to control. Financial hardship to the
64 permitholder shall not, in and of itself, constitute just cause
65 for failure to operate and pay tax on handle.
66 (b) In order to maximize the tax revenues to the state,
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Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Amendment No.
67 the commission shall reissue an escheated thoroughbred horse
68 permit to a qualified applicant pursuant to the provisions of
69 this chapter as for the issuance of an initial permit. However,
70 the provisions of this chapter relating to referendum
71 requirements for a pari-mutuel permit shall not apply to the
72 reissuance of an escheated thoroughbred horse permit. As
73 specified in the application and upon approval by the commission
74 of an application for the permit, the new permitholder shall be
75 authorized to operate a thoroughbred horse facility anywhere in
76 the same county in which the escheated permit was authorized to
77 be operated, notwithstanding the provisions of s. 550.054(2)
78 relating to mileage limitations.
79 Section 3. Subsection (1) and paragraph (a) of subsection
80 (2) of section 550.5251, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
81 550.5251 Florida thoroughbred racing; certain permits;
82 operating days.—
83 (1) If a thoroughbred permitholder elects to conduct live
84 racing, the each thoroughbred permitholder shall annually,
85 during the period commencing January 15 of each year and ending
86 February 4 of the following year, file in writing with the
87 commission its application to conduct one or more thoroughbred
88 racing meetings during the thoroughbred racing season commencing
89 on the following July 1. Each application shall specify the
90 number and dates of all performances that the permitholder
91 intends to conduct during that thoroughbred racing season. On or
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Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Amendment No.
92 before April 15 of each year, the commission shall issue a
93 license authorizing each permitholder to conduct performances on
94 the dates specified in its application. Up to March 28 of each
95 year, each permitholder may request and shall be granted changes
96 in its application to conduct performances; but thereafter, as a
97 condition precedent to the validity of its license and its right
98 to retain its permit, each permitholder must operate the full
99 number of days authorized on each of the dates set forth in its
100 license.
101 (2)(a) If a thoroughbred permitholder elects to conduct
102 live racing, the each licensed thoroughbred permitholder in this
103 state must run an average of one race per racing day in which
104 horses bred in this state and duly registered with the Florida
105 Thoroughbred Breeders' Association have preference as entries
106 over non-Florida-bred horses, unless otherwise agreed to in
107 writing by the permitholder, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders'
108 Association, and the association representing a majority of the
109 thoroughbred racehorse owners and trainers at that location. All
110 licensed thoroughbred racetracks shall write the conditions for
111 such races in which Florida-bred horses are preferred so as to
112 assure that all Florida-bred horses available for racing at such
113 tracks are given full opportunity to run in the class of races
114 for which they are qualified. The opportunity of running must be
115 afforded to each class of horses in the proportion that the
116 number of horses in this class bears to the total number of
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Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
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117 Florida-bred horses available. A track is not required to write
118 conditions for a race to accommodate a class of horses for which
119 a race would otherwise not be run at the track during its meet.
120 Section 4. Paragraphs (d) through (j) of subsection (4) of
121 section 551.104, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
122 paragraphs (c) through (i), respectively, and paragraph (c) of
123 subsection (4) and subsection (10) of that section are amended
124 to read:
125 551.104 License to conduct slot machine gaming.—
126 (4) As a condition of licensure and to maintain continued
127 authority for the conduct of slot machine gaming, the slot
128 machine licensee shall:
129 (c) If a thoroughbred permitholder, conduct no fewer than
130 a full schedule of live racing or games as defined in s.
131 550.002(10). A permitholder's responsibility to conduct live
132 races or games shall be reduced by the number of races or games
133 that could not be conducted due to the direct result of fire,
134 strike, war, hurricane, pandemic, or other disaster or event
135 beyond the control of the permitholder. Beginning July 1, 2025,
136 each thoroughbred permitholder in compliance with this chapter
137 is not required to pay an annual license fee to the commission
138 as a condition of renewal.
139 (10)(a)1. No slot machine license or renewal thereof shall
140 be issued to an applicant holding a permit under chapter 550 to
141 conduct pari-mutuel wagering meets of thoroughbred racing unless
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COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Amendment No.
142 the applicant has on file with the commission a binding written
143 agreement between the applicant and the Florida Horsemen's
144 Benevolent and Protective Association, Inc., governing the
145 payment of purses on live thoroughbred races conducted at the
146 licensee's pari-mutuel facility. In addition, no slot machine
147 license or renewal thereof shall be issued to such an applicant
148 unless the applicant has on file with the commission a binding
149 written agreement between the applicant and the Florida
150 Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, Inc., governing the payment
151 of breeders', stallion, and special racing awards on live
152 thoroughbred races conducted at the licensee's pari-mutuel
153 facility. The agreement governing purses and the agreement
154 governing awards may direct the payment of such purses and
155 awards from revenues generated by any wagering or gaming the
156 applicant is authorized to conduct under Florida law. All purses
157 and awards shall be subject to the terms of chapter 550. All
158 sums for breeders', stallion, and special racing awards shall be
159 remitted monthly to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders'
160 Association, Inc., for the payment of awards subject to the
161 administrative fee authorized in s. 550.2625(3).
162 2. No slot machine license or renewal thereof shall be
163 issued to an applicant holding a permit under chapter 550 to
164 conduct pari-mutuel wagering meets of quarter horse racing
165 unless the applicant has on file with the commission a binding
166 written agreement between the applicant and the Florida Quarter
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Amendment No.
167 Horse Racing Association or the association representing a
168 majority of the horse owners and trainers at the applicant's
169 eligible facility, governing the payment of purses on live
170 quarter horse races conducted at the licensee's pari-mutuel
171 facility. The agreement governing purses may direct the payment
172 of such purses from revenues generated by any wagering or gaming
173 the applicant is authorized to conduct under Florida law. All
174 purses shall be subject to the terms of chapter 550.
175 (b) The commission shall suspend a slot machine license if
176 one or more of the agreements required under paragraph (a) are
177 terminated or otherwise cease to operate or if the commission
178 determines that the licensee is materially failing to comply
179 with the terms of such an agreement. Any such suspension shall
180 take place in accordance with chapter 120.
181 (c)1. If an agreement required under paragraph (a) cannot
182 be reached prior to the initial issuance of the slot machine
183 license, either party may request arbitration or, in the case of
184 a renewal, if an agreement required under paragraph (a) is not
185 in place 120 days prior to the scheduled expiration date of the
186 slot machine license, the applicant shall immediately ask the
187 American Arbitration Association to furnish a list of 11
188 arbitrators, each of whom shall have at least 5 years of
189 commercial arbitration experience and no financial interest in
190 or prior relationship with any of the parties or their
191 affiliated or related entities or principals. Each required
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Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Amendment No.
192 party to the agreement shall select a single arbitrator from the
193 list provided by the American Arbitration Association within 10
194 days of receipt, and the individuals so selected shall choose
195 one additional arbitrator from the list within the next 10 days.
196 2. If an agreement required under paragraph (a) is not in
197 place 60 days after the request under subparagraph 1. in the
198 case of an initial slot machine license or, in the case of a
199 renewal, 60 days prior to the scheduled expiration date of the
200 slot machine license, the matter shall be immediately submitted
201 to mandatory binding arbitration to resolve the disagreement
202 between the parties. The three arbitrators selected pursuant to
203 subparagraph 1. shall constitute the panel that shall arbitrate
204 the dispute between the parties pursuant to the American
205 Arbitration Association Commercial Arbitration Rules and chapter
206 682.
207 3. At the conclusion of the proceedings, which shall be no
208 later than 90 days after the request under subparagraph 1. in
209 the case of an initial slot machine license or, in the case of a
210 renewal, 30 days prior to the scheduled expiration date of the
211 slot machine license, the arbitration panel shall present to the
212 parties a proposed agreement that the majority of the panel
213 believes equitably balances the rights, interests, obligations,
214 and reasonable expectations of the parties. The parties shall
215 immediately enter into such agreement, which shall satisfy the
216 requirements of paragraph (a) and permit issuance of the pending
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COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Amendment No.
217 annual slot machine license or renewal. The agreement produced
218 by the arbitration panel under this subparagraph shall be
219 effective until the last day of the license or renewal period or
220 until the parties enter into a different agreement. Each party
221 shall pay its respective costs of arbitration and shall pay one-
222 half of the costs of the arbitration panel, unless the parties
223 otherwise agree. If the agreement produced by the arbitration
224 panel under this subparagraph remains in place 120 days prior to
225 the scheduled issuance of the next annual license renewal, then
226 the arbitration process established in this paragraph will begin
227 again.
228 4. In the event that neither of the agreements required
229 under subparagraph (a)1. or the agreement required under
230 subparagraph (a)2. are in place by the deadlines established in
231 this paragraph, arbitration regarding each agreement will
232 proceed independently, with separate lists of arbitrators,
233 arbitration panels, arbitration proceedings, and resulting
234 agreements.
235 5. With respect to the agreements required under paragraph
236 (a) governing the payment of purses, the arbitration and
237 resulting agreement called for under this paragraph shall be
238 limited to the payment of purses from slot machine revenues
239 only.
240 (d) If any provision of this subsection or its application
241 to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity
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Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Amendment No.
242 does not affect other provisions or applications of this
243 subsection or chapter which can be given effect without the
244 invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions
245 of this subsection are severable.
246 Section 5. Paragraph (c) of subsection (5) and paragraph
247 (d) of subsection (13) of section 849.086, Florida Statutes, are
248 amended to read:
249 849.086 Cardrooms authorized.—
250 (5) LICENSE REQUIRED; APPLICATION; FEES.—No person may
251 operate a cardroom in this state unless such person holds a
252 valid cardroom license issued pursuant to this section.
253 (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a pari-
254 mutuel permitholder, other than a permitholder issued a permit
255 pursuant to s. 550.3345 or a purchaser, transferee, or assignee
256 holding a valid permit for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering
257 approved pursuant to s. 550.054(15)(a), may not be issued a
258 license for the operation of a cardroom if the permitholder did
259 not hold an operating license for the conduct of pari-mutuel
260 wagering for fiscal year 2020-2021. In order for an initial
261 cardroom license to be issued to a thoroughbred permitholder
262 issued a permit pursuant to s. 550.3345, the applicant must have
263 requested, as part of its pari-mutuel annual license
264 application, to conduct at least a full schedule of live racing.
265 In order for a cardroom license to be renewed by a thoroughbred
266 permitholder, the applicant must have requested, as part of its
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Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Amendment No.
267 pari-mutuel annual license application, to conduct at least 90
268 percent of the total number of live performances conducted by
269 such permitholder during either the state fiscal year in which
270 its initial cardroom license was issued or the state fiscal year
271 immediately prior thereto if the permitholder ran at least a
272 full schedule of live racing or games in the prior year.
273 (13) TAXES AND OTHER PAYMENTS.—
274 (d)1. Each jai alai permitholder that conducts live
275 performances and operates a cardroom facility shall use at least
276 4 percent of such permitholder's cardroom monthly gross receipts
277 to supplement jai alai prize money during the permitholder's
278 next ensuing pari-mutuel meet.
279 2. Each thoroughbred permitholder or harness horse racing
280 permitholder that conducts live performances and operates a
281 cardroom facility shall use at least 50 percent of such
282 permitholder's cardroom monthly net proceeds as follows: 47
283 percent to supplement purses and 3 percent to supplement
284 breeders' awards during the permitholder's next ensuing racing
285 meet.
286 2.3. No cardroom license or renewal thereof shall be
287 issued to an applicant holding a permit under chapter 550 to
288 conduct pari-mutuel wagering meets of quarter horse racing and
289 conducting live performances unless the applicant has on file
290 with the commission a binding written agreement between the
291 applicant and the Florida Quarter Horse Racing Association or
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COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Amendment No.
292 the association representing a majority of the horse owners and
293 trainers at the applicant's eligible facility, governing the
294 payment of purses on live quarter horse races conducted at the
295 licensee's pari-mutuel facility. The agreement governing purses
296 may direct the payment of such purses from revenues generated by
297 any wagering or gaming the applicant is authorized to conduct
298 under Florida law. All purses shall be subject to the terms of
299 chapter 550.
300 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
301
302 -----------------------------------------------------
303 T I T L E A M E N D M E N T
304 Remove everything before the enacting clause and insert:
305 An act relating to pari-mutuel wagering; amending s.
306 550.01215, F.S.; authorizing thoroughbred
307 permitholders to elect not to conduct live racing or
308 games; specifying that such permitholders retain
309 certain permits, eligibility, exemptions, and
310 licenses; providing that certain permitholders are
311 eligible to be a guest track; amending s. 550.09515,
312 F.S.; prohibiting reissuance of horse permits to
313 certain permitholders who do not pay tax on handle for
314 live races for a specified period; removing provisions
315 requiring reissuance of escheated horse permits;
316 amending s. 550.5251, F.S.; conforming provisions to
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COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. PCS for CS/HB 881 (2026)
Amendment No.
317 changes made by the act; amending s. 551.104, F.S.;
318 revising specified requirements for thoroughbred
319 permitholders who have certain slot machine licenses;
320 amending s. 849.086, F.S.; revising requirements for
321 certain permitholders who have cardroom licenses;
322 providing an effective date.
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