{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-3a-3a-240","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 3A, § 3A-240","heading":"Enactment of compact - Provisions","body":"The Interstate Compact on Licensure of Participants in Live\n\nHorse Racing with Pari-mutuel Wagering is hereby entered into on\n\nbehalf of the State of Oklahoma. The Compact provides as follows:\n\nINTERSTATE COMPACT ON LICENSURE OF PARTICIPANTS IN LIVE HORSE RACING\n\nWITH PARI-MUTUEL WAGERING\n\nARTICLE I. PURPOSES\n\nThe purposes of this compact are to:\n\n1. Establish uniform requirements among the party states for\n\nthe licensing of participants in live horse racing with pari-mutuel\n\nwagering, and ensure that all such participants who are licensed\n\npursuant to this compact meet a uniform minimum standard of honesty\n\nand integrity;\n\n2. Facilitate the growth of the horse racing industry in each\n\nparty state and nationwide by simplifying the process for licensing\n\nparticipants in live racing, and reduce the duplicative and costly\n\nprocess of separate licensing by the regulatory agency in each state\n\nthat conducts live horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering;\n\n3. Authorize the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission to\n\nparticipate in this compact;\n\n4. Provide for participation in this compact by officials of\n\nthe party states, and permit those officials, through the compact\n\ncommittee established by this compact, to enter into contracts with\n\ngovernmental agencies and nongovernmental persons to carry out the\n\npurposes of this compact; and\n\n5. Establish the compact committee created by this compact as\n\nan interstate governmental entity duly authorized to request and\n\nreceive criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau\n\nof Investigation and other state and local law enforcement agencies.\n\nARTICLE II. DEFINITIONS\n\nAs used in this compact:\n\n1. \"Compact committee\" means the organization of officials from\n\nthe party states that is authorized and empowered by this compact to\n\ncarry out the purposes of this compact;\n\n2. \"Official\" means the appointed, elected, designated, or\n\notherwise duly selected member of a racing commission or the\n\nequivalent thereof in a party state who represents that party state\n\nas a member of the compact committee;\n\n3. \"Participants in live racing\" means participants in live\n\nhorse racing with pari-mutuel wagering in the party states;\n\n4. \"Party state\" means each state that has entered this\n\ncompact; and\n\n5. \"State\" means each of the several states of the United\n\nStates, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,\n\nand each territory or possession of the United States.\n\nARTICLE III. ENTRY INTO FORCE, ELIGIBLE PARTIES, AND WITHDRAWAL\n\nA. This compact shall come into force when enacted by any four\n\nstates. Thereafter, this compact shall become effective as to any\n\nother state upon the enactment of this compact by the state and the\n\naffirmative vote of a majority of the officials on the compact\n\ncommittee.\n\nB. Any state that has adopted or authorized horse racing with\n\npari-mutuel wagering shall be eligible to become party to this\n\ncompact.\n\nC. Any party state may withdraw from this compact by enacting a\n\nstatute repealing this compact, but no such withdrawal shall become\n\neffective until the head of the executive branch of the withdrawing\n\nstate has given notice in writing of such withdrawal to the head of\n\nthe executive branch of all other party states. If as a result of\n\nwithdrawals participation in this compact decreases to less than\n\nthree party states, this compact no longer shall be in force and\n\neffect unless and until there are at least three or more party\n\nstates again participating in this compact.\n\nARTICLE IV. COMPACT COMMITTEE\n\nA. There is hereby created an interstate governmental entity to\n\nbe known as the \"compact committee\", which shall be comprised of one\n\nofficial from the racing commission or its equivalent in each party\n\nstate who shall be appointed, serve, and be subject to removal in\n\naccordance with the laws of the party state the official represents.\nrticipating in this compact.\n\nARTICLE IV. COMPACT COMMITTEE\n\nA. There is hereby created an interstate governmental entity to\n\nbe known as the \"compact committee\", which shall be comprised of one\n\nofficial from the racing commission or its equivalent in each party\n\nstate who shall be appointed, serve, and be subject to removal in\n\naccordance with the laws of the party state the official represents.\n\nPursuant to the laws of the party state, each official shall have\n\nthe assistance of the racing commission of the state or the\n\nequivalent thereof in considering issues related to licensing of\n\nparticipants in live racing and in fulfilling the responsibilities\n\nas the representative from the state of the official to the compact\n\ncommittee. If an official is unable to perform any duty in\n\nconnection with the powers and duties of the compact committee, the\n\nracing commission or equivalent thereof from the state shall\n\ndesignate another of its members as an alternate who shall serve and\n\nrepresent the party state as its official on the compact committee\n\nuntil that racing commission or equivalent thereof determines that\n\nthe original representative official is able once again to perform\n\nthe duties as that party state's representative official on the\n\ncompact committee. The designation of an alternate shall be\n\ncommunicated by the affected state's racing commission or equivalent\n\nthereof to the compact committee as the committee's bylaws may\n\nprovide.\n\nB. In order to carry out the purposes of this compact, the\n\ncompact committee is hereby granted the power and duty to:\n\n1. Determine which categories of participants in live racing,\n\nincluding but not limited to owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms,\n\nmutuel clerks, racing officials, veterinarians, and farriers, should\n\nbe licensed by the committee, and establish the requirements for the\n\ninitial licensure of applicants in each such category, the term of\n\nthe license for each category, and the requirements for renewal of\n\nlicenses in each category. However, with regard to requests for\n\ncriminal history record information on each applicant for a license,\n\nand with regard to the effect of a criminal record on the issuance\n\nor renewal of a license, the compact committee shall determine for\n\neach category of participants in live racing which licensure\n\nrequirements for that category are, in its judgment, the most\n\nrestrictive licensure requirements of any party state for that\n\ncategory and shall adopt licensure requirements for that category\n\nthat are, in its judgment, comparable to those most restrictive\n\nrequirements;\n\n2. Investigate applicants for a license from the compact\n\ncommittee and, as permitted by federal and state law, gather\n\ninformation on such applicants, including criminal history record\n\ninformation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and relevant\n\nstate and local law enforcement agencies, and, where appropriate,\n\nfrom the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and law enforcement agencies\n\nof other countries, necessary to determine whether a license should\n\nbe issued under the licensure requirements established by the\n\ncommittee as provided in paragraph 1 of this subsection. Only\n\nofficials on, and employees of, the compact committee may receive\n\nand review such criminal history record information, and those\n\nofficials and employees may use that information only for the\n\npurposes of this compact. No such official or employee may disclose\n\nor disseminate such information to any person or entity other than\n\nanother official on or employee of the compact committee. The\n\nfingerprints of each applicant for a license from the compact\n\ncommittee shall be taken by the compact committee, its employees, or\n\nits designee and, pursuant to Public Law 92-544 or Public Law 100-\n\n413, shall be forwarded to a state identification bureau, or to the\n\nAssociation of Racing Commissioners, International, an association\nanother official on or employee of the compact committee. The\n\nfingerprints of each applicant for a license from the compact\n\ncommittee shall be taken by the compact committee, its employees, or\n\nits designee and, pursuant to Public Law 92-544 or Public Law 100-\n\n413, shall be forwarded to a state identification bureau, or to the\n\nAssociation of Racing Commissioners, International, an association\n\nof state officials regulating pari-mutuel wagering designated by the\n\nAttorney General of the United States, for submission to the Federal\n\nBureau of Investigation for a criminal history record check. Such\n\nfingerprints may be submitted on a fingerprint card or by electronic\n\nor other means authorized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation or\n\nother receiving law enforcement agency;\n\n3. Issue licenses to, and renew the licenses of, participants\n\nin live racing listed in paragraph 1 of this subsection who are\n\nfound by the committee to have met the licensure and renewal\n\nrequirements established by the committee. The compact committee\n\nshall not have the power or authority to deny a license. If it\n\ndetermines that an applicant will not be eligible for the issuance\n\nor renewal of a compact committee license, the compact committee\n\nshall notify the applicant that it will not be able to process the\n\napplication further. Such notification does not constitute and\n\nshall not be considered to be the denial of a license. Any such\n\napplicant shall have the right to present additional evidence to,\n\nand to be heard by, the compact committee, but the final decision on\n\nissuance or renewal of the license shall be made by the compact\n\ncommittee using the requirements established pursuant to paragraph 1\n\nof this subsection;\n\n4. Enter into contracts or agreements with governmental\n\nagencies and with nongovernmental persons to provide personal\n\nservices for its activities and such other services as may be\n\nnecessary to effectuate the purposes of this compact;\n\n5. Create, appoint, and abolish those offices, employments, and\n\npositions, including an executive director, as it deems necessary\n\nfor the purposes of this compact, prescribe their powers, duties,\n\nand qualifications, hire persons to fill those offices, employments,\n\nand positions, and provide for the removal, term, tenure,\n\ncompensation, fringe benefits, retirement benefits, and other\n\nconditions of employment of its officers, employees, and other\n\npositions;\n\n6. Borrow, accept, or contract for the services of personnel\n\nfrom any state, the United States, or any other governmental agency,\n\nor from any person, firm, association, corporation, or other entity;\n\n7. Acquire, hold, and dispose of real and personal property by\n\ngift, purchase, lease, license, or in other similar manner, in\n\nfurtherance of the purposes of this compact;\n\n8. Charge a fee to each applicant for an initial license or\n\nrenewal of a license; and\n\n9. Receive other funds through gifts, grants, and\n\nappropriations.\n\nC. Each official shall be entitled to one vote on the compact\n\ncommittee.\n\nD. All action taken by the compact committee with regard to the\n\naddition of party states, the licensure of participants in live\n\nracing, and the receipt and disbursement of funds shall require a\n\nmajority vote of the total number of officials or their alternates\n\non the committee. All other action by the compact committee shall\n\nrequire a majority vote of those officials or their alternates\n\npresent and voting.\n\nE. No action of the compact committee may be taken unless a\n\nquorum is present. A majority of the officials or their alternates\n\non the compact committee shall constitute a quorum.\n\nF. The compact committee shall elect annually from among its\n\nmembers a chair, a vice-chair, and a secretary/treasurer.\n\nG. The compact committee shall adopt bylaws for the conduct of\nt committee may be taken unless a\n\nquorum is present. A majority of the officials or their alternates\n\non the compact committee shall constitute a quorum.\n\nF. The compact committee shall elect annually from among its\n\nmembers a chair, a vice-chair, and a secretary/treasurer.\n\nG. The compact committee shall adopt bylaws for the conduct of\n\nits business by a two-thirds vote of the total number of officials or\n\ntheir alternates on the committee at that time and shall have the\n\npower by the same vote to amend and rescind these bylaws. The\n\ncommittee shall publish its bylaws in convenient form and shall file\n\na copy thereof and a copy of any amendments thereto with the\n\nSecretary of State or equivalent agency of each of the party states.\n\nH. The compact committee may delegate the day-to-day management\n\nand administration of its duties and responsibilities to an\n\nexecutive director and support staff.\n\nI. Employees of the compact committee shall be considered\n\ngovernmental employees.\n\nJ. No official of a party state or employee of the compact\n\ncommittee shall be held personally liable for any good-faith act or\n\nomission that occurs during the performance and within the scope of\n\nresponsibilities and duties under this compact.\n\nARTICLE V. RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES\n\nOF EACH PARTY STATE\n\nA. By enacting this compact, each party state:\n\n1. Agrees to accept the decisions of the compact committee\n\nregarding the issuance of compact committee licenses to participants\n\nin live racing pursuant to the committee's licensure requirements,\n\nand agrees to reimburse or otherwise pay the expenses of its\n\nofficial representative on the compact committee or an alternate;\n\n2. Agrees not to treat a notification to an applicant by the\n\ncompact committee that the compact committee will not be able to\n\nprocess the application further as the denial of a license, or to\n\npenalize such an applicant in any other way based solely on such a\n\ndecision by the compact committee; and\n\n3. Reserves the right to charge a fee for the use of a compact\n\ncommittee license in that state, to apply its own standards in\n\ndetermining whether, on the facts of a particular case, a compact\n\ncommittee license should be suspended or revoked, to apply its own\n\nstandards in determining licensure eligibility, under the laws of\n\nthat party state, for categories of participants in live racing that\n\nthe compact committee determines not to license and for individual\n\nparticipants in live racing who do not meet the licensure\n\nrequirements of the compact committee, and to establish its own\n\nlicensure standards for the licensure of nonracing employees at\n\nhorse racetracks and employees at separate satellite wagering\n\nfacilities. Any party state that suspends or revokes a compact\n\ncommittee license shall, through its racing commission or the\n\nequivalent thereof or otherwise, promptly notify the compact\n\ncommittee of that suspension or revocation.\n\nB. No party state shall be held liable for the debts or other\n\nfinancial obligations incurred by the compact committee.\n\nARTICLE VI. CONSTRUCTION AND SEVERABILITY\n\nThis compact shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate\n\nits purposes. The provisions of this compact shall be severable,\n\nand, if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of this compact\n\nis declared to be contrary to the Constitution of the United States\n\nor of any party state, or the applicability of this compact to any\n\ngovernment, agency, person, or circumstance is held invalid, the\n\nvalidity of the remainder of this compact and the applicability\n\nthereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance shall not\n\nbe affected thereby. If all or some portion of this compact is held\n\nto be contrary to the constitution of any party state, the compact\n\nshall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining party\novernment, agency, person, or circumstance is held invalid, the\n\nvalidity of the remainder of this compact and the applicability\n\nthereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance shall not\n\nbe affected thereby. If all or some portion of this compact is held\n\nto be contrary to the constitution of any party state, the compact\n\nshall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining party\n\nstates and in full force and effect as to the state affected as to\n\nall severable matters.","path":["OK Code","Title 3A"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os3A.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"97960eee2ba73b104e345fb5967c262faecc4541cfa40b231b6040f8b6956caf","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-3a-3a-209","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-3a-3a-251"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}