On Thursday, November 21 in Washington, DC, a House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade held a hearing on the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act of 2013, which would improve the integrity and safety of interstate horse racing. The subcommittee is considering legislation that would see the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) oversee integrity and safety in American horse racing.
As a report on the proceedings by The New York Times explains, witnesses that gave testimony regarding the issue included Jesse Overton (former Minnesota Racing Commission Chairman), Lawrence Soma (VMD, Professor Emeritus of Anesthesia and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine) and Travis Tygart (Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency), among others.
According to The New York Times report, the hearing was the fourth of its kind since 2008, and the updated act would give the USADA ‘the authority to develop rules for permitted and prohibited substances, and it would also create testing and stiffer penalty programs for horse racing nationally, replacing the patchwork state-by-state system now in place.’
The article states that the bill appears to have bipartisan support.
To read The New York Times article in its entirety, click here.
(With files from The New York Times)