(3) Budget development and management;

(4) Policy development with regard to harness racing and off-track betting;

(5) Management of participant licensing;

(6) Enforcement of harness racing and off-track betting statutes and rules;

(7) Investigation of harness racing and off-track betting violations; and

(8) Facilitating the development of positive working relationships in the harness racing industry and State Government; and.

(9) Making reports to the Governor and Legislature and recommendations to the commissioner regarding harness racing and off-track betting operations and the need for changes in statutes and rules.

Sec. 5. 8 MRSA §264, 2nd ¶, as amended by PL 2001, c. 567, §1, is further amended to read:

Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, all officials whose presence is regularly required at a race meet must be licensed by the commission. The commission shall appoint the presiding judge and associate judges on an annual basis with the consent of the licensee. The licensee shall employ judges appointed in accordance with this section on an annual basis. The commission shall provide the list of approved judges in accordance with section 279-C. For purposes of the Maine Tort Claims Act, the presiding judge and associate judges appointed pursuant to this section are deemed to be employees of the State, as those terms are defined in Title 14, section 8102, subsections 1 and 4. The licensee may terminate the employment of a presiding or associate judge hired under this section only with the consent of the commission.

Sec. 6. 8 MRSA §270, first ¶, as amended by PL 2001, c. 567, §2, is further amended to read:

Any person, association or corporation licensed to conduct pari-mutuel betting desiring to hold a harness horse race or meet for public exhibition if pari-mutuel betting is permitted shall apply to the commission for a license to do so. The application