Racing reform passes Senate as part of federal spending bill

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which would bring in national drug testing as part of its oversight of Thoroughbred racing, passed in the U.S. Senate late Monday night.

The bill was attached to a larger $1.4 trillion spending bill that includes $900 billion in pandemic relief. The whole package had been negotiated for weeks by the White House and Congressional leaders. The HISA, which had already passed with bi-partisan support this fall in the House, was attached as an amendment.

“I’m proud the Senate agreed to my legislation to preserve our signature racing industry,” Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a news release. “With the leadership of Congressman Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and the partnership of sport leaders, horse advocates and fans, we’re one step closer to promoting fairness and safety across Thoroughbred racing.”

Barr, who championed the bill in the House, also celebrated its passing.

“With today’s passage of HISA in Congress we are in the final stretch of achieving the most transformational and consequential reform of the Thoroughbred horseracing industry since enactment of the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978,” Barr said in McConnell's release. “For almost a decade, I have worked with industry stakeholders and my Congressional colleagues to build consensus around reforms that will protect equine athletes and strengthen confidence and international competitiveness in the sport.”

The bill attempts to bring more national structure to racing and hands over control of drug enforcement to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. It would also phase out the use of Lasix.

While it was supported by many industry groups, including the Jockey Club, the Breeders’ Cup and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, some groups were against it, including the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

The NHBPA’s opposition to the bill stems in part from the new drug-enforcement rules, which it said do not come from consulting with veterinarians. It also questioned who would pay the enforcement bill and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s qualifications to be thrust into the equine world.

“There were no horsemen’s representative groups, period, that were consulted," NHBPA CEO Eric Hamelback said when the bill was unveiled in September. “Now I don’t speak for anyone else, but at the end of the day I think it’s still very evident that, in particular, veterinary leadership groups have not been included.”

To become a law, the spending bill and, with it, HISA must be signed by President Trump. He is widely expected to do so.