Racehorse Health and Safety Act of 2025
The Racehorse Health and Safety Act of 2025 would repeal the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020 and replace federal oversight with a new framework built around an interstate compact among participating states. The core idea is to create a national, breed-specific system for science-based medication control and racetrack safety. States that join would form the Racehorse Health and Safety Organization (RHSO), which would set uniform rules for each horse breed (Thoroughbred, Standardbred, and Quarter Horse), oversee drug testing and safety standards, maintain a shared data system, and enforce penalties for rule violations. The plan emphasizes science-based decision making, breed-specific standards, and uniform enforcement across member states, with funding shared among member states and a strong emphasis on transparency and public input. Key features include: authorization for states to enter into a compact, creation of the RHSO with a nine-member board, establishment of breed-specific scientific medication control committees and a Racetrack Safety Committee, a preemption of conflicting state rules, mechanisms for enforcement (including subpoenas and referrals to state commissions where allowed), and a funding model that requires breed-specific assessments by state racing commissions. The bill also introduces an enhanced testing and laboratory framework and a nationwide database to support epidemiological studies on horse health and safety. It includes protections around transparency, conflicts of interest, and public notice, while allowing non-member states to continue certain wagering activities only if they are host states within member states.
Key Points
- 1Interstate compact and RHSO creation
- 2- States may enter into an interstate compact to develop and enforce uniform, breed-specific scientific medication control rules and racetrack safety rules via the Racehorse Health and Safety Organization (RHSO). The act repeals the prior Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020.
- 3Governance and funding
- 4- The RHSO is governed by a 9-member Board (majority from the leading racing-day states, plus others), with detailed rules on terms, conflicts of interest, recusal, and ethics. States fund RHSO operations through breed-specific assessments, with strict rules about how funds are allocated and limited inter-breed commingling. Increases above a 5% threshold require a 3/4 vote of the Board.
- 5Scientific medication control (per breed)
- 6- Each breed (Standardbred, Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred) has its own Scientific Medication Control Committee (7 members total, with a mix of regulatory and industry appointees). Committees draft proposed rules on medications, testing thresholds, and related health standards and submit them to the RHSO Board. Rules must be based on sound science and consider breed-specific performance and needs.
- 7Racetrack safety rules (per breed)
- 8- A Racetrack Safety Committee (7 members) develops and recommends safety rules for racetracks, with input from track superintendents. The Board adopts these rules, with emphasis on science-based standards and public consideration.
- 9Rules, testing, and data
- 10- The RHSO adopts penalties for rule violations, maintains open meetings, and requires posting of proposed rules before meetings. It also develops a nationwide database on horse health, safety, performance, and injuries, and requires data submission from covered persons and equine industry representatives. There are provisions for testing, including sample collection, lab accreditation, and both in-competition and out-of-competition testing.
- 11Enforcement and preemption
- 12- Member states may elect to enforce RHSO rules within their borders; otherwise, RHSO enforcement applies through a memorandum of understanding. RHSO rules preempt conflicting state laws within member states. The act also establishes an unfair or deceptive acts provision for sales of covered horses, requiring disclosure of certain health treatments.
- 13Wagering and host states
- 14- Non-member states are prohibited from certain interstate wagering transmissions, with host states (where a race occurs) able to allow interstate off-track wagers among member states. This ties the compact to wagering practices consistent with federal law.