Addabbo Backs Stricter Drug Rules in New York

A New York senator has re-introduced legislation banning any kind of performance-enhancing drug in all horse races in the state, including furosemide.

Versions of the measure have died over the past several years in the Senate.

But this year, there is an important difference: Sen. Joseph Addabbo, the bill's sponsor, is now in the majority party that controls the Senate, and he is also the new chairman of the Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee.

Democrats decisively took control of the Senate this month after Republicans, who have dominated the chamber for decades, suffered a string of costly defeats in the November elections. Addabbo, a Queens Democrat, was the top ranking Democratic member on the Senate racing committee when he was in the minority; this month, he formally began as the panel's chairman, meaning he has key powers over which bills survive or die in his committee.

The senator also introduced a measure Jan. 18 to increase the minimum age to legally gamble in New York state from 18 to 21 years old. An identical bill has already been introduced in the state Assembly.

The new measure, introduced Friday, would set into law stronger penalties for violating the drug bans, including suspensions of horses that were drugged illegally under the terms of the legislation.

Different versions of the bill have kicked around going back at least to 2011, and a number of Senate Democrats over the years have sought to ban furosemide (Salix, commonly referred to as Lasix).

The bill states that drugs are banned that affect the performance of a horse "at any time by acting on the nervous system, reproductive system, musculoskeletal system, blood system, immune system (other than licensed vaccines against infectious agents), or endocrine system of the horse.''

For people who violate the rules, a first-time offense carries a penalty of not less than $5,000 and a suspension of at least 180 days from any racing-related activities. By the third violation, the penalty rises to at least a $50,000 fine and a permanent ban from any role in horse racing in New York.

Horses that are given performance-enhancing drugs would be subject to suspensions as well. By the third violation, the horse would be barred from any racing in New York for at least two years.

The bill requires every track in New York to use an accredited third-party testing entity to check for presence of any performance-enhancing drugs of every first-place horse in a race, as well as a second horse that would be randomly selected from the field.

The bill, so far in a session that only had its first working day this week, does not have a matching companion measure in the Assembly.

Addabbo did not return a call seeking comment.