I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2182 

To deregulate interstate commerce with respect to parimutuel wagering on 

horseracing, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 30, 2015 

Mr. PITTS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To deregulate interstate commerce with respect to parimutuel 

wagering on horseracing, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Coronado Heights 

5 Horseracing Deregulation Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; BACKGROUND. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Congress makes the following 

8 findings: 

9 (1) Congress enacted the Interstate Horse10 racing Act of 1978 (Public Law 95–515; 15 U.S.C. 


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1 3001 et seq.) to regulate interstate commerce with 

2 respect to parimutuel wagering on horseracing in 

3 order to further the horseracing industry of the 

4 United States. 

5 (2) In 2000, Congress amended such Act to 

6 allow parimutuel wagering by telephone and over the 

7 Internet, a gambling privilege no other sport enjoys. 

8 (3) The use of performance-enhancing drugs in 

9 horseracing is widespread in the United States, 

10 where no uniform regulations exist with respect to 

11 the use of, and testing for, performance-enhancing 

12 drugs in interstate horseracing. 

13 (4) A 2012 New York Times investigation 

14 found that, on average, every week 24 horses die 

15 racing, a high equine fatality rate likely caused by 

16 the misuse of permitted medication and abuse of ille17 gal drugs. 

18 (5) A 2013 horseracing industry study found 

19 that a large majority of parimutuel wagering partici20 pants avoid wagering at certain tracks and when 

21 certain trainers compete because they assume illegal 

22 drug use affects race results. 

23 (6) Total parimutuel wagering on Thorough24 bred horseracing in the United Stated declined 30 

25 percent from 2002 to 2014. 


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1 (7) The Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 has 

2 not met its original policy goal of furthering the 

3 United States horseracing industry. 

4 (b) BACKGROUND FOR INCLUDING THE NAME OF A

5 RACEHORSE IN SHORT TITLE.—The purpose in providing 

6 the short title used in this Act is to honor horses who 

7 died while competing in races with interstate, off-track wa8 gering authorized under the Interstate Horseracing Act of 

9 1978. Coronado Heights was a Thoroughbred horse who 

10 last competed as a four-year old on February 25, 2012. 

11 A race observer noted that Coronado Heights broke down 

12 just prior to reaching the end of the backstretch. The 4- 

13 year-old Coronado Heights, whose veterinary records show 

14 had ‘‘early degenerative joint disease’’, suffered his fatal 

15 breakdown at Aqueduct after receiving 13 injections for 

16 pain and cartilage damage in the month before his race. 

17 SEC. 3. REPEAL OF INTERSTATE HORSERACING ACT OF 

18 1978. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Interstate Horseracing Act 

20 of 1978 (Public Law 95–515; 15 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) is 

21 hereby repealed. 

22 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 5362(10) 

23 of chapter 53 of title 31, United States Code, is amend24 ed— 

25 (1) in subparagraph (B)(iii)— 


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1 (A) by striking subclause (I); and 

2 (B) by redesignating subclauses (II), (III), 

3 and (IV) as subclauses (I), (II), and (III), re4 spectively; 

5 (2) in subparagraph (C)(iv)— 

6 (A) by striking subclause (I); and 

7 (B) by redesignating subclauses (II), (III), 

8 and (IV) as subclauses (I), (II), and (III), re9 spectively; 

10 (3) by striking subparagraph (D); and 

11 (4) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as sub12 paragraph (D). 

Æ 


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