The Legislature finds that subjecting racehorses to the general property tax has resulted in a serious lack of uniformity as between one county and another respecting the method used in arriving at an assessed value; that this has resulted in serious inequities between the owners of racehorses depending in part on the county wherein they are assessed; that a continuation of current assessment practices will result in a substantial decrease in the breeding, boarding, and training of racehorses for racing competition in California and that current assessment practices have caused racehorse owners to remove their horses from California to other major breeding states with the result that over a period of time if these assessment practices are continued, both the breeding and racing of racehorses in California will suffer in that the quality and quantity of racehorses will be reduced and impaired; that a severe loss of employment and taxes to breeding and racing will result, attendance at race meetings will decrease, and betting will be reduced with consequent substantial loss of revenue to California. It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this part, to establish a more equitable method of taxing racehorses and thereby provide incentives to owners of these horses to maintain their horses within the state by providing for a uniform system of in-lieu taxation for the racehorses subject to the provisions of this part. The Legislature further finds that, because Arabian horses begin racing and breeding at least one year later than other breeds, Arabian horses should be treated equitably by allowing that breed four years before they are required to begin racing or be engaged in breeding activities.

(Amended by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1250, Sec. 3. Effective September 30, 1985.)