I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7826 

To amend the Wire Act to clarify that gambling on commercial greyhound 

racing and field coursing using wire communication technology is prohibited. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 29, 2020 

Mr. CA ́RDENAS (for himself and Mr. COHEN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend the Wire Act to clarify that gambling on commercial greyhound racing and field coursing using wire communication technology is prohibited. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Greyhound Protection 

5 Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND POLICY. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Greyhounds have existed for thousands of 

9 years and are the only canines mentioned by name 

10 in the Bible. 


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1 (2) Commercial greyhound racing was first le2 galized in Florida in 1931. 

3 (3) Modern racetracks require internet-based 

4 wire communications to process bets and wagers, 

5 calculate odds, broadcast races, announce results, 

6 and pay winnings to gamblers. 

7 (4) Public records reveal that some greyhounds 

8 used for live commercial racing suffer serious inju9 ries including broken backs, broken necks, head 

10 trauma, paralysis, seizures, and electrocution. 

11 (5) State records show that some racing grey12 hounds test positive for drugs including cocaine, am13 phetamines, barbituates, opiods, and steroids. 

14 (6) State investigatory files document that rac15 ing greyhounds are kept confined for 20-23 hours a 

16 day in stacked, metal cages, typically with little op17 portunity to socialize with other dogs. 

18 (7) Many small animals, including but not lim19 ited to rabbits and hares, are bought, sold, delivered, 

20 transported, and received in interstate and foreign 

21 commerce for use as live bait in the training of rac22 ing greyhounds and in open field coursing. 

23 (8) Typically, animals used in the live lure 

24 training of greyhounds may be dragged on ropes, 

25 hung from a horizontal pole which rotates around a 


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1 training track or simply set loose to be chased and 

2 mauled. Alive or dead, helpless bait animals may be 

3 used repeatedly until they are torn apart. 

4 (9) Live lure training is prohibited in more 

5 than a dozen States, but there is no Federal statute. 

6 In the late 1970’s, the National Greyhound Associa7 tion, a membership organization representing breed8 ers, trainers and other industry participants, an9 nounced a policy against live lure training in order 

10 to convince then-Senators Birch Bayh and Robert 

11 Dole to withdraw their proposed legislation. 

12 (10) Open field coursing preceded commercial 

13 dog racing and is an activity in which greyhounds or 

14 other sighthounds are released to pursue and kill 

15 bait animals, often in a fenced area. Greyhounds 

16 often collide and suffer injuries in the chase. 

17 (11) Dog owners travel from multiple States 

18 and countries to compete and win prizes and some19 times gamble on open field coursing events. 

20 (12) As with commercial greyhound racing, 

21 internet sites are used to promote coursing tour22 naments and post results to a worldwide audience. 

23 (13) The National Field Coursing Association is 

24 the umbrella group for coursing clubs nationwide 

25 and had 12 clubs in California as of 2006. 


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1 (14) Open field coursing is illegal in as many 

2 as 12 States. 

3 (15) Open field coursing was prohibited as a 

4 blood sport in Scotland in 2002 and in the United 

5 Kingdom in 2004. 

6 (16) Twenty-five years ago, there were 60 grey7 hound tracks in the United States. Once a voter-ap8 proved ballot measure prohibiting greyhound racing 

9 takes full effect in Florida in 2020 and the vol10 untary shut down of Southland Park in Arkansas 

11 takes place as of 2022, no more than 5 tracks will 

12 remain throughout the country. 

13 (17) According to the State of Florida, track 

14 owners had been collectively losing more than $30 

15 million annually because of sagging attendance and 

16 decreased wagering. According to a State-commis17 sioned report, the State spent more money regu18 lating the industry in its national hub than it gen19 erated in tax revenue. 

20 (18) As of December 31, 2022, live commercial 

21 dog racing will be illegal in 41 States. This dying in22 dustry will remain legal and operational in no more 

23 than 4 States. 

24 (b) POLICY.—It is the policy of the Congress in this 

25 chapter to prohibit the use of wire communications for the 


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1 purpose of gambling on live, commercial greyhound racing 

2 and open field coursing events and to prohibit the trans3 port of animals including but not limited to greyhounds, 

4 rabbits, and hares in interstate and foreign commerce in 

5 furtherance of these activities. 

6 SEC. 3. PROTECTION OF GREYHOUNDS. 

7 Section 1084 of title 18, United States Code, is 

8 amended by adding at the end the following new section: 

9 ‘‘(f) Nothing contained in this section shall be con10 strued to authorize gambling on commercial greyhound 

11 racing taking place domestically or internationally using 

12 wire communications or to permit the transport of animals 

13 for the purpose of conducting or furthering commercial 

14 dog racing, live lure training or field coursing.’’. 

15 SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

16 Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this 

17 Act, shall be construed— 

18 (1) to preempt any State law prohibiting gam19 bling or protecting the welfare of animals including 

20 but not limited to greyhounds, rabbits, and hares; or 

21 (2) to alter, limit, or extend the relationship be22 tween the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 (15 

23 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) as it relates to horse racing 

24 and other Federal laws in effect on the date of en25 actment of this Act. 


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1 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

2 The amendment made by section 3 shall take effect 

3 on December 31, 2022. 

Æ 


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