Current Bills
Welcome to the NTRA Legislative Advocacy Center. With your participation, we can foster horse industry growth through governance.
Use the links below to access current bills and legislation affecting the horseracing industry and to contact your federal representatives in Congress.
Ask your representative to join the Congressional Horse Caucus. This bipartisan group was formed to educate members of the House of Representatives and their staffs about the importance of the horse industry in the economic, agricultural, sporting, gaming and recreational life of the nation.
Contact your U.S. Congressperson
Bills of the 113th Congress
2013-2014
Taxation
H. R. 998
Introduced by: Andy Barr (R-KY)
Legislative Action: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce the holding period used to determine whether horses are section 1231 assets to 12 months.
Bill Referral(s): House Committee on Ways and Means
Key Issue(s): Unlike most business assets that must be held for more than one year before gains from their sale are eligible for a lower capital gains tax rate, horses must be held for at least two years before the more favorable capital gains rate applies. This legislation would create parity between horses and most other business assets.
Animal Welfare
H.R. 1094
Safeguard American Food Exports Act of 2013
Introduced by: Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA)
Legislative Action: Prohibits the sale or transport of equines and equine parts in interstate or foreign commerce for human consumption.
Bill Referral(s): Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
Key Issue(s): The bill would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to make it illegal for anyone to sell, transport, export or import horses or horse meat if they "know or should have known" the horses were to be slaughtered, or the horse meat was to be used for human consumption.
Companion bill to S. 541
S. 541
Safeguard American Food Exports Act of 2013
Introduced by: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Legislative Action: Prohibits the sale or transport of equines and equine parts in interstate or foreign commerce for human consumption.
Bill Referral(s): Referred to Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Key Issue(s): The bill would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to make it illegal for anyone to sell, transport, export or import horses or horse meat if they "know or should have known" the horses were to be slaughtered, or the horse meat was to be used for human consumption.
Companion bill to H. R. 1094