§185. Horsemen's bookkeeper

            A.(1) At each race meeting conducted in this state pursuant to the provisions of this Part, there shall be a bookkeeper for the collection, disbursement, and investment of monies belonging to horsemen licensed and racing at such a race meeting who shall be known as the Horsemen's Bookkeeper. The Horsemen's Bookkeeper shall be bonded, selected, and employed by the authorized representative of horsemen racing in Louisiana.

            (2) The investment of monies by the Horsemen's Bookkeeper may include the granting of a loan to the horsemen's representative for the repayment of those certain and pending claims for overpayments of purses made by Harrah's Bossier City Investment Company, L.L.C. d/b/a Louisiana Downs or its related entities provided that the loan is at interest, secured by statutorily dedicated purse revenue streams of Louisiana Downs and the certain and pending claims are the subject of a final judgment of dismissal from the court of record based upon a final mutual release and settlement agreement between the horsemen and entities claiming overpayments of purses. This provision is an exception to any and all statutory provisions which govern the statutorily dedicated purse revenue streams.

            B.(1) Each association conducting a race meeting shall provide a separate office for the Horsemen's Bookkeeper who shall keep a separate bank account for the horsemen's monies to be known as the "Horsemen's Bookkeeper Account".

            (2) At all times the Horsemen's Bookkeeper Account shall have on deposit funds sufficient to cover all monies due to horsemen with regard to daily purses, jockey fees, stakes, handicaps, rewards, claims, deposits, monies, if any, for horsemen's medical and hospital benefit programs, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Inc. dues, and pony lead fees.

            (3)(a) Except for interest earned on the investment of monies in the Horsemen's Bookkeeper Account and that portion of a pony lead fee as hereby authorized and assessed by the representative of horsemen in the state to provide retirement benefits to horsemen and to pay its administrative and operating costs, withdrawals from the account shall be only for those purposes provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection. However, monies generated from donations to horse aftercare, as defined in R.S. 3:2438.1, reserves administered by the representative of horsemen in the state shall be authorized for withdrawals and disbursement from the Horsemen's Bookkeeper Account.

            (b) Pursuant to this Paragraph, the horse aftercare reserves shall be managed, at all times, by the representative of horsemen in the state and is to be funded by donations and, in part, by a five dollar automatic donation per start. The five dollar automatic donation per start may be withdrawn, or opted out of, by providing written notification to the representative of horsemen in the state.

            (4) The interest earned on the investment of monies in the Horsemen's Bookkeeper Account and that portion of a pony lead fee as provided for in Paragraph (3) of this Subsection shall be collected by the Horsemen's Bookkeeper and paid, in due course, to the authorized representative of horsemen.

            (5) After first paying the expenses and other charges necessary to operate the offices of the Horsemen's Bookkeeper, the interest earned on the investment of monies in the Horsemen's Bookkeeper Account by the authorized representative of horsemen shall be used by it for the benefit of horsemen racing in the state.

            C. The account shall at all times be subject to audit by the legislative auditor or by a certified public accountant approved by the legislative auditor, the expenses of such audit to be paid by the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association.

            Acts 1984, No. 197, §1, eff. June 28, 1984; Acts 1989, No. 627, §1, eff. July 7, 1989; Acts 1999, No. 616, §1; Acts 2009, No. 177, §1, eff. June 29, 2009; Acts 2019, No. 221, §2.