[Text of section effective until December 31, 2009. See 2001, 139, Sec. 45 as amended by 2005, 176, Sec. 13; 2006, 54, Sec. 12; 2006, 449, Secs. 19 and 21 and 2008, 290, Sec. 12.]
Section 64. There is established a retired greyhound care and adoption council, hereinafter referred to as the council, which shall be comprised of the following: the commissioner of food and agriculture or his designee, the president or executive director of the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association or his designee, the director of the Animal Rescue League of Boston or his designee, the director of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals or his designee and the executive director of a Massachusetts greyhound rescue organization that is not affiliated with a person, corporation, partnership, trust or any combination of the same or other entity which owns, operates or holds an interest in a race track or other facility which operates pari-mutuel racing of greyhounds or is licensed to operate such a facility pursuant to section 3 of chapter 128A, the chairman of the state racing commission or his designee, the president of the greyhound racing meeting licensee located in Suffolk county or his designee and the president of the greyhound racing meeting licensees located in Bristol county or his designee; provided, however, that for the purposes of this section, the greyhound racing meeting licensees located in Bristol county shall be treated as 1 licensee, and a designee of the president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO from a list submitted by the labor organizations who represent employees at the greyhound race tracks in Suffolk and Bristol counties; provided, however, that no member appointed by the President of the AFL-CIO may serve for more than 2 consecutive years. The commissioner of food and agriculture or his designee shall be designated as the chairman of the council. The members shall serve without compensation, shall elect a vice chairman annually by a majority vote and shall establish internal operational rules by a majority vote.
For the purposes of this section and section 65, “retired greyhound” shall mean a greyhound dog that is bred for racing in Massachusetts and has never qualified for pari-mutuel races, or that is bred for racing, has qualified for no fewer than 100 pari-mutuel races in Massachusetts and has reached the end of its racing career.
The council shall adopt rules and regulations for the disbursement of the trust fund established by section 65 to encourage and assist in the adoption of greyhounds; provided, however, that the regulations shall, at a minimum, provide for educational tools to assist persons interested in adoption to ensure appropriate transition from racing to domestication for the greyhounds and shall provide a list of veterinarians with experience in the care and treatment of racing greyhounds. The council may expend monies from the fund for the costs of adoption of greyhounds bred for racing that never qualified for pari-mutuel races or of racing greyhounds that have reached the end of their racing career. The commissioner of food and agriculture or his designee shall be authorized to appropriate monies from the trust fund established by said section 65 to pay the administrative costs of the council, including such administrative staff as the council deems necessary by a 2/3 vote. The council shall employ no more than 2 persons.
The council shall authorize no expenditure pursuant to a contract with a person, corporation, partnership, trust or any combination of the same or other entity which owns, operates or holds any interest in any race track or other facility which operates pari-mutuel racing of greyhounds, or is licensed to operate such a facility pursuant to section 3 of chapter 128A.
The council shall provide an annual report, which shall include, but not be limited to, expenditures and distribution of funds, the purpose of expenditures and distributions, the amount of funds unspent, the number of greyhounds assisted and a budget proposal for the next fiscal cycle, to the governor, the state treasurer, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on government regulations and the joint committee on taxation.
[Text of section effective until December 31, 2009. See 2001, 139, Sec. 45 as amended by 2005, 176, Sec. 13; 2006, 54, Sec. 12; 2006, 449, Secs. 19 and 21 and 2008, 290, Sec. 12.]
Section 64. There is established a retired greyhound care and adoption council, hereinafter referred to as the council, which shall be comprised of the following: the commissioner of food and agriculture or his designee, the president or executive director of the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association or his designee, the director of the Animal Rescue League of Boston or his designee, the director of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals or his designee and the executive director of a Massachusetts greyhound rescue organization that is not affiliated with a person, corporation, partnership, trust or any combination of the same or other entity which owns, operates or holds an interest in a race track or other facility which operates pari-mutuel racing of greyhounds or is licensed to operate such a facility pursuant to section 3 of chapter 128A, the chairman of the state racing commission or his designee, the president of the greyhound racing meeting licensee located in Suffolk county or his designee and the president of the greyhound racing meeting licensees located in Bristol county or his designee; provided, however, that for the purposes of this section, the greyhound racing meeting licensees located in Bristol county shall be treated as 1 licensee, and a designee of the president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO from a list submitted by the labor organizations who represent employees at the greyhound race tracks in Suffolk and Bristol counties; provided, however, that no member appointed by the President of the AFL-CIO may serve for more than 2 consecutive years. The commissioner of food and agriculture or his designee shall be designated as the chairman of the council. The members shall serve without compensation, shall elect a vice chairman annually by a majority vote and shall establish internal operational rules by a majority vote.
For the purposes of this section and section 65, “retired greyhound” shall mean a greyhound dog that is bred for racing in Massachusetts and has never qualified for pari-mutuel races, or that is bred for racing, has qualified for no fewer than 100 pari-mutuel races in Massachusetts and has reached the end of its racing career.
The council shall adopt rules and regulations for the disbursement of the trust fund established by section 65 to encourage and assist in the adoption of greyhounds; provided, however, that the regulations shall, at a minimum, provide for educational tools to assist persons interested in adoption to ensure appropriate transition from racing to domestication for the greyhounds and shall provide a list of veterinarians with experience in the care and treatment of racing greyhounds. The council may expend monies from the fund for the costs of adoption of greyhounds bred for racing that never qualified for pari-mutuel races or of racing greyhounds that have reached the end of their racing career. The commissioner of food and agriculture or his designee shall be authorized to appropriate monies from the trust fund established by said section 65 to pay the administrative costs of the council, including such administrative staff as the council deems necessary by a 2/3 vote. The council shall employ no more than 2 persons.
The council shall authorize no expenditure pursuant to a contract with a person, corporation, partnership, trust or any combination of the same or other entity which owns, operates or holds any interest in any race track or other facility which operates pari-mutuel racing of greyhounds, or is licensed to operate such a facility pursuant to section 3 of chapter 128A.
The council shall provide an annual report, which shall include, but not be limited to, expenditures and distribution of funds, the purpose of expenditures and distributions, the amount of funds unspent, the number of greyhounds assisted and a budget proposal for the next fiscal cycle, to the governor, the state treasurer, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on government regulations and the joint committee on taxation.
[Text of section effective until December 31, 2009. See 2001, 139, Sec. 45 as amended by 2005, 176, Sec. 13; 2006, 54, Sec. 12; 2006, 449, Secs. 19 and 21 and 2008, 290, Sec. 12.]
Section 64. There is established a retired greyhound care and adoption council, hereinafter referred to as the council, which shall be comprised of the following: the commissioner of food and agriculture or his designee, the president or executive director of the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association or his designee, the director of the Animal Rescue League of Boston or his designee, the director of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals or his designee and the executive director of a Massachusetts greyhound rescue organization that is not affiliated with a person, corporation, partnership, trust or any combination of the same or other entity which owns, operates or holds an interest in a race track or other facility which operates pari-mutuel racing of greyhounds or is licensed to operate such a facility pursuant to section 3 of chapter 128A, the chairman of the state racing commission or his designee, the president of the greyhound racing meeting licensee located in Suffolk county or his designee and the president of the greyhound racing meeting licensees located in Bristol county or his designee; provided, however, that for the purposes of this section, the greyhound racing meeting licensees located in Bristol county shall be treated as 1 licensee, and a designee of the president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO from a list submitted by the labor organizations who represent employees at the greyhound race tracks in Suffolk and Bristol counties; provided, however, that no member appointed by the President of the AFL-CIO may serve for more than 2 consecutive years. The commissioner of food and agriculture or his designee shall be designated as the chairman of the council. The members shall serve without compensation, shall elect a vice chairman annually by a majority vote and shall establish internal operational rules by a majority vote.
For the purposes of this section and section 65, “retired greyhound” shall mean a greyhound dog that is bred for racing in Massachusetts and has never qualified for pari-mutuel races, or that is bred for racing, has qualified for no fewer than 100 pari-mutuel races in Massachusetts and has reached the end of its racing career.
The council shall adopt rules and regulations for the disbursement of the trust fund established by section 65 to encourage and assist in the adoption of greyhounds; provided, however, that the regulations shall, at a minimum, provide for educational tools to assist persons interested in adoption to ensure appropriate transition from racing to domestication for the greyhounds and shall provide a list of veterinarians with experience in the care and treatment of racing greyhounds. The council may expend monies from the fund for the costs of adoption of greyhounds bred for racing that never qualified for pari-mutuel races or of racing greyhounds that have reached the end of their racing career. The commissioner of food and agriculture or his designee shall be authorized to appropriate monies from the trust fund established by said section 65 to pay the administrative costs of the council, including such administrative staff as the council deems necessary by a 2/3 vote. The council shall employ no more than 2 persons.
The council shall authorize no expenditure pursuant to a contract with a person, corporation, partnership, trust or any combination of the same or other entity which owns, operates or holds any interest in any race track or other facility which operates pari-mutuel racing of greyhounds, or is licensed to operate such a facility pursuant to section 3 of chapter 128A.
The council shall provide an annual report, which shall include, but not be limited to, expenditures and distribution of funds, the purpose of expenditures and distributions, the amount of funds unspent, the number of greyhounds assisted and a budget proposal for the next fiscal cycle, to the governor, the state treasurer, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on government regulations and the joint committee on taxation.
