Bill · S. 1770· Senate(119-S-1770)
Racehorse Health and Safety Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 5/14/2025
- Last activity
- 5/14/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Tom Cotton
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Racehorse Health and Safety Act of 2025 aims to protect the health and welfare of certain horses while improving horseracing integrity and safety. It authorizes States to enter into an interstate compact to establish the Racehorse Health and Safety Organization (RHSO). This organization will develop and enforce uniform scientific medication control and racetrack safety rules tailored to specific equine breeds. The bill includes provisions for breed-specific committees and oversight of training and racing environments. Additionally, it establishes a disciplinary process for rule violations and provides a framework for administrative sanctions. Finally, the Act repeals the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020.
Yes
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+3
The bill enhances protections for horse buyers by treating failure to disclose certain medications as an unfair or deceptive practice.
The opposite
Would business owners be better off under this?-4
The bill imposes new administrative fees and strict regulatory oversight on racing and training operations.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Horse Welfare: The bill seeks to protect the health and welfare of horses by establishing scientific medication control and racetrack safety rules (Section 1).
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Uniform Medication Standards: By establishing scientific medication control committees for each breed, the bill ensures that medication rules are specific to the unique needs and performance models of Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, and Quarter Horses (Section 201, Section 202).
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Enhanced Racetrack Safety: The creation of a Racetrack Safety Committee allows for the development of mandatory safety rules, including injury reporting and prevention protocols (Section 302, Section 303).
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Protection Against Deceptive Sales: The bill requires member States to implement statutes that treat the failure to disclose certain medications, like bisphosphonates, as an unfair or deceptive practice (Section 102).
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Standardized Data Collection: The RHSO is tasked with maintaining a nationwide database of racehorse safety, performance, health, and injury information to support epidemiological studies (Section 101).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Wagering Restrictions for Non-Member States: A host State that is not a member of the interstate compact is prohibited from allowing the interstate transmission of electronic signals for off-track or advance deposit wagers (Section 4).
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Financial Burdens on State Racing Commissions: Member States must pay initial startup fees and ongoing annual fees to the RHSO to fund breed-specific medication and safety rules (Section 101).
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Strict Disciplinary Measures: The Board is authorized to issue various administrative sanctions, which can include lifetime bans from horseracing and the disgorgement of purses (Section 403).
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Presumption of Liability: The bill includes a rebuttable presumption of liability for trainers regarding violations of the scientific medication control rules (Section 402).
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Regulatory Preemption: The rules established by the RHSO will preempt any existing State laws or regulations within the jurisdiction of the RHSO (Section 102).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners-4
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+3
- 5/14/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.