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119-hr-3378119th CongressWALLET

Racehorse Health and Safety Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]

Introduced

Summary

Racehorse Health and Safety Organization (RHSO) compact would create a national interstate body to set science-based medication, testing, and racetrack safety rules for Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, and Quarter Horses and repeal the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020.

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  • State racing commissions and member States would share governance through a nine-member Board, with five seats reserved for the five States with the most racing days and the rest appointed by other member States. The RHSO would fund itself through a first-year startup fee and ongoing breed-specific annual assessments, and it can incur debt but cannot accept loans from covered industry participants.
  • Trainers, owners, and sellers would face a uniform scientific medication-control system with disciplinary sanctions such as lifetime bans, fines, purse disgorgement, and a rebuttable presumption of trainer liability for medication violations. The compact also conditions membership on state laws that require sellers to disclose bisphosphonate use before a horse’s fourth birthday.
  • Laboratories, racetracks, and bettors would operate under RHSO oversight for lab accreditation and testing direction, a nationwide database of horse health and injuries for study, and limits on interstate off-track wagering signals to host States that are compact members.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 4 mixed.

New investigations, hearings, and penalties

This bill would set how investigations and hearings work for safety and medication cases. Penalties could include lifetime bans, purse disgorgement, fines, and changes to race results. You would have due‑process protections, like an impartial hearing officer, the right to counsel, to confront witnesses, and a transcript. Decisions would be due within 60 days after the hearing closes. There could be a rebuttable presumption that trainers are responsible for certain medication violations. These rules would start 90 days after the RHSO is operative.

New State fees to fund safety

This bill would let the RHSO charge startup and annual, breed‑specific fees to member States. States could raise the money from foal registration, sales, starter, or track fees on covered persons. Budgets and estimates would be provided each year by November 1, and funds for one breed could not be mixed with another. Any increase over 5% would need a three‑quarters Board vote. The RHSO could borrow, but not take loans from covered persons. These fee rules would start 90 days after the RHSO is operative.

Stricter drug rules and testing

This bill would set breed‑specific medication rules for covered races. It would require no‑notice testing in and out of competition and use of accredited labs. It would ban giving, possessing, or trafficking certain drugs and methods, bar refusing a valid sample without good reason, and punish tampering and threats. It would also require owners and others to submit horse safety and injury data to a national database. These requirements would apply when the RHSO becomes operative; some detailed rules would start about 90 days later.

Join compact to keep interstate wagers

This bill would create an interstate Racehorse Health and Safety Organization. It would start on the later of two years after enactment or when two or more States join the compact. Member host States could allow interstate off‑track and advance‑deposit wagering signals; non‑member host States could not. RHSO rules would override member State laws on topics the RHSO covers. Each State could choose to enforce the rules itself or let the RHSO enforce them under an agreement.

Disclose risky drugs when selling horses

This bill would require sellers to tell buyers if a racehorse got a bisphosphonate before its fourth birthday, or another substance or method the RHSO says harms long‑term soundness. Member States would have to treat a failure to disclose as an unfair or deceptive act to join the compact. This rule would apply when the RHSO becomes operative.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]

LA • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1]

    NC • D

    Sponsored 5/14/2025

  • Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4]

    OK • R

    Sponsored 5/14/2025

  • Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]

    VA • D

    Sponsored 10/3/2025

  • Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large]

    DE • D

    Sponsored 4/6/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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