Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act Advances in Congress

[Wandering Eyes]

The $900-billion COVID-19 relief bill that was expected to pass Monday includes a provision that calls for the passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. With the omnibus spending bill having received bipartisan support and with President Donald J. Trump expected to sign it, the legislation that would bring sweeping change to how the sport is regulated and policed may soon clear its last hurdle.

Congressional leaders announced Sunday night that they had reached a deal on the stimulus package. It was expected to be voted on by the House of Representatives some time on Monday and would then go to the Senate, which could also vote on the bill Monday.

The effort to increase efforts to end doping and to improve safety through legislation has been an on-going process that started at least six years ago and was spearheaded by Congressmen Paul Tonko (D-NY), whose district includes Saratoga, and Andy Barr (R-Ky), whose district includes Keeneland. However, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act appeared to be stalled until Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) announced his support in a September press conference at Keeneland.

The House passed a stand-alone version of the Act shortly thereafter, but had to vote again because the legislation was now included in a different bill. The language covering the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act in the spending bill is virtually identical to the bill passed by the House of Representatives in September.

“The private, independent, self-regulatory, non-profit corporation, to be known as the ‘Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’ is recognized for purposes of developing and implementing a horseracing anti-doping and medication control program and a racetrack safety program for covered horses, covered persons, and covered horseraces,” it reads.

The bill calls for as phase-in period, with the bill going into effect July 1, 2022, at which time the “Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority” will be in place and responsible for “developing and implementing a horseracing anti-doping and medication program and a racetrack safety program for covered horses…”

The “Authority” will be governed by a nine-member Board which must be put in place prior to July 1, 2022. The Federal Trade Commission will have oversight of the Authority and the United States Anti-Doping Agency will be brought in to handle drug testing and enforcement.

Where the funding will come from to pay for USADA and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority remains somewhat unclear. The bill states that initial funding to establish the Authority and underwrite its operations shall be provided through loans obtained by the Authority.

This story will be updated.

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