(a) (1) The board shall contract with persons licensed as stewards pursuant to this article to perform the duties of stewards at horse racing meets. The board shall also contract with licensed veterinarians pursuant to this article to perform the duties of official veterinarians at horse racing meets. Contracts shall be upon any terms that the board, the stewards, and the official veterinarians may mutually agree upon and may contain different rates of compensation based upon the experience of the steward or official veterinarian.
(2) The board shall establish a committee of at least two board members to meet at least quarterly with representatives of the stewards, so that recommendations of the stewards can be discussed as necessary. These meetings may be scheduled the same day as regular board meetings or at the convenience of the board. Representatives of associations may attend and participate in these meetings, or portions thereof, when items directly affecting the associations are discussed.
(3) The board shall provide remuneration, including any fringe benefits, to stewards, to the official veterinarian, and for the costs of laboratory testing relating to horse racing.
(b) Stewards, official veterinarians, and other racing officials appointed or approved by the board, and while performing duties required by this chapter or by the board, shall be entitled to the same rights and immunities granted public employees by Article 3 (commencing with Section 820) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 3.6 of Title 1 of the Government Code.
(c) The Legislature finds and declares that the services performed by stewards and official veterinarians at horse racing meetings are unique and cannot be performed adequately, competently, or satisfactorily by civil service personnel, and that the services cannot be adequately rendered by an existing public agency and do not duplicate the function of an existing public agency. Stewards and official veterinarians shall be personal service contractors of the board and shall not be civil service employees.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 400, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007.)