The Board of Directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) recently voted to support passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020 (HISA). The action was taken at a special meeting of the Board of the Directors.
The HISA will improve the integrity and safety of Thoroughbred racing by requiring uniform safety and performance standards, including an anti-doping and medication control program and a racetrack safety program to be developed and enforced by an independent Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.
“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, President and Chief Executive Officer of the NTRA. “We also applaud Congressmen Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Andy Barr (R-KY) and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) 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, Sen. Feinstein, Rep. Tonko, Rep. Barr and other allies in Congress to pass this important legislation before the end of this year.”
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has favorably reported HISA to the full House by a vote of 46-5, setting the bill up for expedited action by the full House. The NTRA will provide regular updates on the bill’s status in both the House and the Senate.