(230 ILCS 5/31) (from Ch. 8, par. 37-31)

Sec. 31. (a) The General Assembly declares that it is the policy of this State to encourage the breeding of standardbred horses in this State and the ownership of such horses by residents of this State in order to provide for: sufficient numbers of high quality standardbred horses to participate in harness racing meetings in this State, and to establish and preserve the agricultural and commercial benefits of such breeding and racing industries to the State of Illinois. It is the intent of the General Assembly to further this policy by the provisions of this Section of this Act.

(b) Each organization licensee conducting a harness racing meeting pursuant to this Act shall provide for at least two races each race program limited to Illinois conceived and foaled horses. A minimum of 6 races shall be conducted each week limited to Illinois conceived and foaled horses. No horses shall be permitted to start in such races unless duly registered under the rules of the Department of Agriculture.

(b-5) Organization licensees, not including the Illinois State Fair or the DuQuoin State Fair, shall provide stake races and early closer races for Illinois conceived and foaled horses so that purses distributed for such races shall be no less than 17% of total purses distributed for harness racing in that calendar year in addition to any stakes payments and starting fees contributed by horse owners.

(b-10) Each organization licensee conducting a harness racing meeting pursuant to this Act shall provide an owner award to be paid from the purse account equal to 12% of the amount earned by Illinois conceived and foaled horses finishing in the first 3 positions in races that are not restricted to Illinois conceived and foaled horses. The owner awards shall not be paid on races below the $10,000 claiming class.

(c) Conditions of races under subsection (b) shall be commensurate with past performance, quality and class of Illinois conceived and foaled horses available. If, however, sufficient competition cannot be had among horses of that class on any day, the races may, with consent of the Board, be eliminated for that day and substitute races provided.

(d) There is hereby created a special fund of the State Treasury to be known as the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund. Beginning on June 28, 2019 (the effective date of Public Act 101-31), the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund shall become a non-appropriated trust fund held separate and apart from State moneys. Expenditures from this Fund shall no longer be subject to appropriation.

During the calendar year 1981, and each year thereafter, except as provided in subsection (g) of Section 27 of this Act, eight and one-half per cent of all the monies received by the State as privilege taxes on harness racing meetings shall be paid into the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund.

(e) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, amounts deposited into the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund from revenues generated by gaming pursuant to an organization gaming license issued under the Illinois Gambling Act after June 28, 2019 (the effective date of Public Act 101-31) shall be in addition to tax and fee amounts paid under this Section for calendar year 2019 and thereafter. The Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund shall be administered by the Department of Agriculture with the assistance and advice of the Advisory Board created in subsection (f) of this Section.

(f) The Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund Advisory Board is hereby created. The Advisory Board shall consist of the Director of the Department of Agriculture, who shall serve as Chairman; the Superintendent of the Illinois State Fair; a member of the Illinois Racing Board, designated by it; a representative of the largest association of Illinois standardbred owners and breeders, recommended by it; a representative of a statewide association representing agricultural fairs in Illinois, recommended by it, such representative to be from a fair at which Illinois conceived and foaled racing is conducted; a representative of the organization licensees conducting harness racing meetings, recommended by them; a representative of the Breeder's Committee of the association representing the largest number of standardbred owners, breeders, trainers, caretakers, and drivers, recommended by it; and a representative of the association representing the largest number of standardbred owners, breeders, trainers, caretakers, and drivers, recommended by it. Advisory Board members shall serve for 2 years commencing January 1 of each odd numbered year. If representatives of the largest association of Illinois standardbred owners and breeders, a statewide association of agricultural fairs in Illinois, the association representing the largest number of standardbred owners, breeders, trainers, caretakers, and drivers, a member of the Breeder's Committee of the association representing the largest number of standardbred owners, breeders, trainers, caretakers, and drivers, and the organization licensees conducting harness racing meetings have not been recommended by January 1 of each odd numbered year, the Director of the Department of Agriculture shall make an appointment for the organization failing to so recommend a member of the Advisory Board. Advisory Board members shall receive no compensation for their services as members but shall be reimbursed for all actual and necessary expenses and disbursements incurred in the execution of their official duties.

(g) Monies expended from the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund shall be expended by the Department of Agriculture, with the assistance and advice of the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund Advisory Board for the following purposes only:

1. To provide purses for races limited to Illinois conceived and foaled horses at the State Fair and the DuQuoin State Fair.

2. To provide purses for races limited to Illinois conceived and foaled horses at county fairs.

3. To provide purse supplements for races limited to Illinois conceived and foaled horses conducted by associations conducting harness racing meetings.

4. No less than 75% of all monies in the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund shall be expended for purses in 1, 2, and 3 as shown above.

5. In the discretion of the Department of Agriculture to provide awards to harness breeders of Illinois conceived and foaled horses which win races conducted by organization licensees conducting harness racing meetings. A breeder is the owner of a mare at the time of conception. No more than 10% of all moneys transferred into the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund shall be expended for such harness breeders awards. No more than 25% of the amount expended for harness breeders awards shall be expended for expenses incurred in the administration of such harness breeders awards.

6. To pay for the improvement of racing facilities located at the State Fair and County fairs.

7. To pay the expenses incurred in the administration of the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund.

8. To promote the sport of harness racing, including grants up to a maximum of $7,500 per fair per year for conducting pari-mutuel wagering during the advertised dates of a county fair.

9. To pay up to $50,000 annually for the Department of Agriculture to conduct drug testing at county fairs racing standardbred horses.

(h) The Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund is not subject to administrative charges or chargebacks, including, but not limited to, those authorized under Section 8h of the State Finance Act.

(i) A sum equal to 13% of the first prize money of the gross purse won by an Illinois conceived and foaled horse shall be paid 50% by the organization licensee conducting the horse race meeting to the breeder of such winning horse from the organization licensee's account and 50% from the purse account of the licensee. Such payment shall not reduce any award to the owner of the horse or reduce the taxes payable under this Act. Such payment shall be delivered by the organization licensee at the end of each quarter.

(j) The Department of Agriculture shall, by rule, with the assistance and advice of the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund Advisory Board:

1. Qualify stallions for Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund breeding. Such stallion shall stand for service at and within the State of Illinois at the time of a foal's conception, and such stallion must not stand for service at any place outside the State of Illinois during that calendar year in which the foal is conceived. However, on and after January 1, 2018, semen from an Illinois stallion may be transported outside the State of Illinois.

2. Provide for the registration of Illinois conceived and foaled horses and no such horse shall compete in the races limited to Illinois conceived and foaled horses unless registered with the Department of Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture may prescribe such forms as may be necessary to determine the eligibility of such horses. No person shall knowingly prepare or cause preparation of an application for registration of such foals containing false information. A mare (dam) must be in the State at least 30 days prior to foaling or remain in the State at least 30 days at the time of foaling. However, the requirement that a mare (dam) must be in the State at least 30 days before foaling or remain in the State at least 30 days at the time of foaling shall not be in effect from January 1, 2018 until January 1, 2022. Beginning with the 1996 breeding season and for foals of 1997 and thereafter, a foal conceived by transported semen may be eligible for Illinois conceived and foaled registration provided all breeding and foaling requirements are met. The stallion must be qualified for Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund breeding at the time of conception. The foal must be dropped in Illinois and properly registered with the Department of Agriculture in accordance with this Act. However, from January 1, 2018 until January 1, 2022, the requirement for a mare to be inseminated within the State of Illinois and the requirement for a foal to be dropped in Illinois are inapplicable.

3. Provide that at least a 5-day racing program shall be conducted at the State Fair each year, unless an alternate racing program is requested by the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund Advisory Board, which program shall include at least the following races limited to Illinois conceived and foaled horses: (a) a 2-year-old Trot and Pace, and Filly Division of each; (b) a 3-year-old Trot and Pace, and Filly Division of each; (c) an aged Trot and Pace, and Mare Division of each.

4. Provide for the payment of nominating, sustaining and starting fees for races promoting the sport of harness racing and for the races to be conducted at the State Fair as provided in subsection (j) 3 of this Section provided that the nominating, sustaining and starting payment required from an entrant shall not exceed 2% of the purse of such race. All nominating, sustaining and starting payments shall be held for the benefit of entrants and shall be paid out as part of the respective purses for such races. Nominating, sustaining and starting fees shall be held in trust accounts for the purposes as set forth in this Act and in accordance with Section 205-15 of the Department of Agriculture Law.

5. Provide for the registration with the Department of Agriculture of Colt Associations or county fairs desiring to sponsor races at county fairs.

6. Provide for the promotion of producing standardbred racehorses by providing a bonus award program for owners of 2-year-old horses that win multiple major stakes races that are limited to Illinois conceived and foaled horses.

(k) The Department of Agriculture, with the advice and assistance of the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund Advisory Board, may allocate monies for purse supplements for such races. In determining whether to allocate money and the amount, the Department of Agriculture shall consider factors, including, but not limited to, the amount of money transferred into the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund, the number of races that may occur, and an organization licensee's purse structure. The organization licensee shall notify the Department of Agriculture of the conditions and minimum purses for races limited to Illinois conceived and foaled horses to be conducted by each organization licensee conducting a harness racing meeting for which purse supplements have been negotiated.

(l) All races held at county fairs and the State Fair which receive funds from the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of the United States Trotting Association unless otherwise modified by the Department of Agriculture.

(m) At all standardbred race meetings held or conducted under authority of a license granted by the Board, and at all standardbred races held at county fairs which are approved by the Department of Agriculture or at the Illinois or DuQuoin State Fairs, no one shall jog, train, warm up or drive a standardbred horse unless he or she is wearing a protective safety helmet, with the chin strap fastened and in place, which meets the standards and requirements as set forth in the 1984 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Harness Racing and Other Equestrian Sports published by the Snell Memorial Foundation, or any standards and requirements for headgear the Illinois Racing Board may approve. Any other standards and requirements so approved by the Board shall equal or exceed those published by the Snell Memorial Foundation. Any equestrian helmet bearing the Snell label shall be deemed to have met those standards and requirements.

(Source: P.A. 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-689, eff. 12-17-21; 103-8, eff. 6-7-23.)