(1)(a) The Washington horse racing commission operating account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts collected by the commission under RCW
67.16.105(2) must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for the operating expenses of the commission. Only the commission or the commission's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter
43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.
(b) The commission has the authority to receive such gifts, grants, and endowments from public or private sources as may be made from time to time in trust or otherwise for the use and purpose of regulating or supporting nonprofit race meets as set forth in RCW
67.16.130 and
67.16.105(1); such gifts, grants, and endowments must also be deposited into the horse racing commission operating account and expended according to the terms of such gift, grant, or endowment.
(2) In order to provide funding in support of the legislative findings in RCW
67.16.101 (1) through (3), and to provide additional necessary support to the nonprofit race meets beyond the funding provided by RCW
67.16.101(4) and
67.16.102(2), the commission is authorized to spend up to three hundred thousand dollars per fiscal year from its operating account for the purpose of developing the equine industry, maintaining and upgrading racing facilities, and assisting equine health research. When determining how to allocate the funds available for these purposes, the commission must give first consideration to uses that regulate and assist the nonprofit race meets and equine health research. These expenditures may occur only when sufficient funds remain for the continued operations of the horse racing commission.