HISA Submits Draft Safety Regulations To FTC

Edited Press Release

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (the Authority) formally submitted draft Racetrack Safety regulations to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Dec. 6 for review, public comment and final approval with an effective date of July 1, 2022.

The draft rules reflect significant work by the Authority's Racetrack Safety Committee and input from a broad range of regulators, experts, other industry stakeholders and the general public. The rules will establish a national, uniform program including pre-race veterinary inspections, voided claim rules, racetrack surface maintenance, and the gathering of medications, treatment, and injury data.

In addition, the Authority notified the FTC of the Authority's intent to file final draft rules for the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) program later in December, prior to the new year. To date, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has led the process of authoring draft rules for the program in coordination with the Authority's ADMC Committee, led by Adolpho Birch. As explained in the formal waiver request, the Authority and USADA are continuing to finalize the terms of the agreement under which USADA will operate as the independent enforcement agency for the new rules. The organizations will also continue to evolve and refine the draft ADMC rules to take into account industry and public feedback.

“We are pleased to have submitted the draft Racetrack Safety rules which will make the sport safer for both equine and human athletes and thank the Authority's Racetrack Safety Committee for their hard work,” said Charles Scheeler, Chairman of the Authority's Board of Directors. “In addition, we are deeply grateful for the diligence, expertise and leadership of USADA and the ADMC Committee in developing comprehensive draft ADMC rules in a remarkably short period of time. We are also grateful for the feedback we received from all segments of the racing community regarding these draft rules. We look forward to continuing our partnership as we finalize and operationalize new, nationwide regulations to ensure the integrity and safety of the sport.”