Horseracing Reform Bill Advances to House Floor

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act led by Congressmen Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Andy Barr (R-KY) is poised to advance to the House floor following a bipartisan 46-5 vote Sept. 9 to approve the legislation in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The bill, H.R. 1754, advanced with amendments that match legislation introduced Wednesday by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). The House bill would designate the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority to design and implement uniform national horse racing medication and racetrack safety standards.

"Today's vote is a major step forward for our bipartisan drive to bring greater safety and integrity to the sport of horse racing," Tonko said. "Our bill delivers commonsense medication and track safety standards that protect America's horses and jockeys, needed progress that will put this popular and historic sport on track for a strong recovery and a bright future. Horse racing is more than the sport of kings, it also supports countless jobs and drives vital economic activity in communities all across America. I thank my friend and colleague, Congressman Barr, for leading with me for all these years in our push for sensible, compassionate reform. My thanks to our colleagues on the Committee on Energy and Commerce for advancing this critical bill and I look forward to a vote in the full House and hopefully the enactment of our Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act into law later this year."

Barr also cheered the bill's progress.

"Today marks a major milestone in our bipartisan efforts to implement historic and lasting reforms for the horse racing industry," he said. "Our amended legislation incorporates feedback from an expanded group of industry stakeholders to create essential uniform medication and track safety standards to protect the safety of our equine and human athletes. I want to thank my colleague, Paul Tonko, for his continued work and advocacy on this issue, as well as the over 250 members who co-sponsored this legislation for their support.

"The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act has momentum in the House, and I look forward to getting it across the finish line and sending it to the President's desk."

Last week, Tonko and Barr celebrated the announcement made by McConnell to introduce the Horseracing Safety and Integrity Act in the U.S. Senate to strengthen standards for the nation's horse racing industry. The Senate legislation adopted many key reform measures established in H.R. 1754, while adding additional track safety measures and program establishing safety standards for training and racing, racetrack surfaces, injury-related data analysis, safety violation investigations, hearings, and sanctions.

ANGST: McConnell, Churchill Back Bill on Medication, Safety

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced that its board of directors during a special meeting Wednesday voted to support passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act.

"We thank Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for his willingness and unique ability to bring the industry to the table to craft this comprehensive legislation," said Alex Waldrop, NTRA president and CEO. "We also applaud Congressmen Paul Tonko and Andy Barr and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for their pioneering efforts in support of federal anti-doping and medication control standards in the form of the Horseracing Integrity Act, which served as the basis for this historic compromise. We are committed to working with Leader McConnell, Sen. Gillibrand, Rep. Tonko, Rep. Barr, and other allies in Congress to pass this important legislation before the end of this year." 

The New York Racing Association shared its backing of the bill in a statement from its communications director Pat McKenna, who said: "The New York Racing Association, Inc. strongly supports the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and urges both houses of Congress to quickly bring this bill to a vote. NYRA has long supported a national approach to medication control and anti-doping across horse racing, and this legislation will move the sport forward through a unified set of enhanced safety and integrity standards. We thank Congressman Paul Tonko and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for their work to prioritize the future of a sport responsible for 19,000 jobs in New York and more than $3 billion in annual statewide economic impact, including $240 million alone in the Capital Region during a traditional summer meet at Saratoga Race Course."