BILL NUMBER: S7397A

SPONSOR: RANZENHOFER
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the tax law, in relation to vendor
fees paid to certain vendor tracks

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would increase vendor fees to the vendor track located in
Genesee County to provide closer parity with other vendor tracks across
the state.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends subparagraph (ii) of paragraph one of subdivision b of
section 1612 of the Tax Law to add a new clause (D-1).

Section 2 provides the effective date.

 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):  The
              

amended version changes the rate from forty-one percent to thirty-seven
percent.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Western New York Racino in Batavia, Genesee County, has the highest
effective taxes of any of the racinos located in close competition to
Native American and other casinos across New York State. Western New
York OTB, as a corporation owned by fifteen Western New York counties,
provides vital funding to the residents of these counties, and the
current unfair rate deprives these counties and their residents of this
important funding year after year. The current burden also challenges
the ability of WNYOTB to sustain its workforce, maintain and grow
programs that are important to the economic well-being of the region,
both directly and indirectly, and support the local governments that
rely on this revenue stream. This bill will simply bring parity with
other similar gaming venues.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on April 1, 2019.