I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3084 
To improve the integrity and safety of Thoroughbred horseracing by requiring 
a uniform anti-doping program to be developed and enforced by an 
independent Thoroughbred Horseracing Anti-Doping Authority. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 16, 2015 
Mr. BARR (for himself and Mr. TONKO) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To improve the integrity and safety of Thoroughbred horse-
racing by requiring a uniform anti-doping program to 
be developed and enforced by an independent Thorough-
bred Horseracing Anti-Doping Authority. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Thoroughbred Horse-
racing Integrity Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Congress enacted the Interstate Horse-
racing Act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) to regu-
late interstate commerce with respect to pari-mutuel 
wagering on Thoroughbred horseracing in order to 
protect and further the Thoroughbred horseracing 
industry of the United States. This Act does not 
modify or eliminate any of the consents, approvals, 
or agreements required by the Interstate Horse-
racing Act of 1978 or impair or restrict the oper-
ation and enforcement of State law or regulation of 
Thoroughbred horseracing with respect to matters 
unrelated to anti-doping or for violations of State or 
Federal criminal law. 
(2) The horseracing industry contributes ap-
proximately $25,000,000,000 to the United States 
economy annually and generates nearly 380,000 do-
mestic jobs. Approximately 50 percent of the 
317,000 starts by Thoroughbred horses in 2014 
were made by horses that competed in more than 
one State. 
(3) Uniform adoption of national anti-doping 
standards for Thoroughbred horseracing in the 
United States will promote interstate commerce, en-
courage fair competition and a level playing field, as-
sure full and fair disclosure of information to pur-
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chasers of breeding stock and to the wagering pub-
lic, will improve the marketplace for domestic and 
international sales of the American Thoroughbred, 
will provide a platform for consistency with all major 
international Thoroughbred horseracing standards, 
address growing domestic concerns over disparities 
with international rules, and provide for the safety 
and welfare of horses and jockeys. 
(4) The use of therapeutic medications in Thor-
oughbred horseracing in the United States must 
place the health and welfare of the horse at the 
highest level of priority while achieving consistency 
with the uses permitted in major international Thor-
oughbred horseracing jurisdictions, including the use 
of race-day medication. Because the various States 
have been unable to adopt a national uniform anti- 
doping program, national uniform regulations with 
respect to the use of, and testing for, drugs capable 
of affecting the results of a Thoroughbred horse race 
and therapeutic medications used in Thoroughbred 
horseracing, such rules, procedures and enforcement 
policies should be implemented, consistent with 
internationally accepted best practices, by an inde-
pendent anti-doping organization authorized by an 
Act of Congress. 
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(5) For human sports, Congress has dem-
onstrated its commitment to fair competition 
through legislation, oversight, funding, and by its 
execution of an international treaty, the UNESCO 
International Convention Against Doping in Sport. 
By ratifying the UNESCO Convention, the United 
States agreed to adopt appropriate measures con-
sistent with the principles of the World Anti-Doping 
Code and to take appropriate action, including legis-
lation, regulation, policies or administrative practices 
to implement that commitment. 
(6) In the context of Olympic sports, Congress 
has recognized the United States Anti-Doping Agen-
cy as an independent anti-doping organization pos-
sessing high-level expertise and credibility in the de-
velopment and administration of an anti-doping pro-
gram. 
(7) Congress supports the establishment of an 
independent anti-doping organization to ensure the 
wagering public’s confidence in the fairness of Thor-
oughbred horseracing and to strengthen and har-
monize anti-doping rules and sanctions for Thor-
oughbred horseracing in order to ensure fair and 
transparent Thoroughbred horseraces and to deter 
the commission of anti-doping rule violations. 
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SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) AUTHORITY.—The term ‘‘Authority’’ means 
the independent Thoroughbred Horseracing Anti- 
Doping Authority established by section 5. 
(2) COVERED HORSERACE.—The term ‘‘covered 
horserace’’ means any horserace that involves only 
Thoroughbreds and that is the subject of interstate 
off-track wagers. 
(3) COVERED
HORSE.—The term ‘‘covered 
horses’’ means any Thoroughbred horse, beginning 
on the date of the Thoroughbred horse’s first timed 
and reported workout at a race track that partici-
pates in races that are the subject of interstate off- 
track wagers or a licensed Thoroughbred training fa-
cility until the Authority receives written notice that 
the horse has been retired. 
(4) COVERED
PERSONS.—The term ‘‘covered 
persons’’ means all trainers, owners, veterinarians, 
and the agents and employees of such persons and 
other horse support personnel who are engaged in 
the care, training, or racing of covered horses. 
(5) HORSERACING
ASSOCIATIONS.—The term 
‘‘horseracing association’’ means a group or associa-
tion that represents entities licensed by a State rac-
ing commission to conduct covered races. 
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(6) INTERSTATE
OFF-TRACK
WAGER.—The 
term ‘‘interstate off-track wager’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 3 of the Interstate Horse-
racing Act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. 3002). 
(7) JOCKEY.—The term ‘‘jockey’’ means a rider 
of a covered horse in covered races. 
(8) MEDICATION
AND
REGULATORY
EXPERTS 
GROUPS.—The term ‘‘medication and regulatory ex-
perts groups’’ means groups or associations that are, 
at the time of enactment, actively involved in the es-
tablishment of equine medication standards, or 
groups or associations representing entities respon-
sible for the current regulation of the Thoroughbred 
industry, or groups or associations representing 
equine practitioners and veterinarians. 
(9) OWNERS AND BREEDERS.—The term ‘‘own-
ers and breeders’’ means those persons who either 
hold ownership interests in covered horses or who 
are in the business of breeding covered horses. 
(10) PROHIBITED METHODS.—The term ‘‘pro-
hibited methods’’ means any methods that are on 
the list of prohibited methods identified in section 
7(b). 
(11) PROHIBITED
SUBSTANCES.—The term 
‘‘prohibited substances’’ means any substances that 
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are on the list of prohibited substances identified in 
section 7(b). 
(12) 
PERMITTED
SUBSTANCES.—The 
term 
‘‘permitted substances’’ means those substances con-
tained in the list of permitted substances identified 
in section 7(b). 
(13) PERMITTED METHODS.—The term ‘‘per-
mitted methods’’ means those methods identified in 
the list of permitted methods identified in section 
7(b). 
(14) STATE
RACING
COMMISSION.—The term 
‘‘State racing commission’’ means that entity des-
ignated by State statute or, in the absence of stat-
ute, by regulation, with jurisdiction to regulate the 
conduct of Thoroughbred horseracing within the 
State. 
(15) TAKEOUT.—The term ‘‘takeout’’ means 
that portion of a wager that is deducted from or not 
included in the pari-mutuel pool, and that is distrib-
uted to persons other than those placing wagers. 
(16) THOROUGHBRED.—The term ‘‘Thorough-
bred’’ means a horse that has satisfied the rules and 
requirements set forth in The Jockey Club’s Prin-
cipal Rules and Requirements of the American Stud 
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Book and is registered in The Jockey Club’s The 
American Stud Book. 
(17) THOROUGHBRED
CONSTITUENCIES.—The 
term ‘‘Thoroughbred constituencies’’ means, collec-
tively, the owners and breeders, trainers, horse rac-
ing associations, veterinarians, State racing commis-
sions and jockeys. 
(18) THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY REPRESENTA-
TIVE.—The term ‘‘Thoroughbred industry represent-
ative’’ means an organization regularly and signifi-
cantly engaged in the Thoroughbred industry, in-
cluding, organizations that represent the interests 
of, and whose membership consists of, owners and 
breeders, trainers, horse racing associations, veteri-
narians, State racing commissions, and jockeys. 
(19) THOROUGHBRED
HORSERACING
ANTI- 
DOPING PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Thoroughbred horse-
racing anti-doping program’’ means the program es-
tablished in accordance with section 7. 
(20) TRAINERS.—The term ‘‘trainer’’ means an 
individual engaged in the training of covered horses. 
(21) VETERINARIAN.—The term ‘‘veterinarian’’ 
means a licensed veterinarian who provides veteri-
nary services to covered horses. 
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(22) WORKOUT.—The term ‘‘workout’’ means a 
timed running of a horse over a pre-determined dis-
tance not associated with a race. 
SEC. 4. JURISDICTION OF AUTHORITY FOR ANTI-DOPING 
MATTERS AND CONDITION FOR ACCEPTANCE 
OF WAGERS. 
(a) JURISDICTION FOR ANTI-DOPING MATTERS.— 
Effective January 1, 2017, the Authority shall have exclu-
sive jurisdiction for anti-doping matters over all covered 
horses, covered persons, and covered horseraces. 
(b) CONDITION FOR ACCEPTANCE OF WAGERS.—The 
jurisdiction and authority of the Authority are hereby im-
posed, in addition to compliance with the Interstate 
Horseracing Act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. 3001–3007), as con-
ditions upon the privilege to accept, receive or transmit 
wagers on covered horseraces and to participate in such 
races. 
(c) POWERS AND AUTHORITY.—The Authority shall 
be vested with the same powers over Thoroughbred horse-
racing licensees as the State racing commissions have in 
their respective States in respect to access to offices, track 
facilities and other places of business of licensees, search 
and seizure, issuance and enforcement of subpoenas and 
subpoenas duces tecum, and other investigatory powers. 
As a condition of eligibility to participate in covered 
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horseraces, covered persons agree that they and their cov-
ered horses shall be bound by the provisions of the Thor-
oughbred horseracing anti-doping program established in 
accordance with section 7(a). 
SEC. 5. INDEPENDENT ANTI-DOPING AUTHORITY FOR 
INTERSTATE HORSERACING. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the 
Thoroughbred Horseracing Anti-Doping Authority, an 
independent organization with responsibility for devel-
oping and administering an anti-doping program for cov-
ered horses, covered persons, and covered horseraces. 
(b) COMPOSITION.—The Authority shall be a non-
profit corporation governed by a board initially comprised 
of the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s chief executive 
officer, five United States Anti-Doping Agency board 
members, and five individuals from different constitu-
encies of the Thoroughbred industry who shall be ap-
pointed by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, as fol-
lows: 
(1) The United States Anti-Doping Agency 
shall solicit lists of two candidates each from a 
cross-section of thoroughbred industry representa-
tives, the members of which include owners and 
breeders, trainers, veterinarians, racing associations, 
State racing commissions and jockeys. 
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(2) The United States Anti-Doping Agency 
may, in its sole discretion, include more than one 
thoroughbred industry representative from each such 
Thoroughbred constituency but shall make reason-
able efforts to include the largest and most broadly 
based organization or organizations from each Thor-
oughbred constituency. 
(3) The United States Anti-Doping Agency 
shall endeavor to provide diversity of industry mem-
bership on the board by allocating board positions 
among the nominees from those Thoroughbred con-
stituencies to the greatest extent practicable and 
consistent with the standards for board membership 
set forth in this section. 
(4) Should such Agency not fill all open board 
positions from among the initially listed candidates, 
it shall ask each of the Thoroughbred industry rep-
resentatives to submit an additional list of two per-
sons from which the Agency may fill the then re-
maining open board positions. 
(5) Should such Agency choose not to fill any 
of the then remaining open board positions from the 
second set of candidate lists, it may choose one or 
more persons at large with substantial experience in 
the Thoroughbred industry as board members. 
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(c) CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.—To avoid any conflict 
of interest, no nominee or board member shall be— 
(1) an individual who has a financial interest in 
or provides goods or services to covered horses; 
(2) an official, officer, or serve in any govern-
ance or policymaking capacity for any Thoroughbred 
industry representative; or 
(3) an employee or have a business or commer-
cial relationship with any of the individuals or orga-
nizations described in paragraphs (1) or (2). 
(d) TERMS; VACANCIES.—The terms of board mem-
bers shall be three years and shall be staggered so that 
the terms of no more than four board members expire in 
any year. Board members may serve for no more than two 
consecutive full terms. Vacancies among board positions 
held by Thoroughbred industry candidates shall be filled 
pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b) and any other 
vacancies will be filled pursuant to the provisions of the 
Authority’s bylaws. 
(e) STANDING COMMITTEES.—The Authority shall 
establish one or more standing advisory and technical 
committees, which shall include qualified representatives 
from horseracing industry constituencies including train-
ers, owners, the breed registry, veterinarians, regulators, 
race tracks, testing laboratories, customers, and jockeys. 
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The Authority shall designate a representative of the 
medication and regulatory experts groups to a standing 
advisory and technical committee on permitted and pro-
hibited substances and methods. The committees will as-
sist the Authority in establishing and administering the 
Thoroughbred horseracing anti-doping program. 
(f) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Following the third an-
niversary of the date on which the anti-doping program 
identified in section 7(a) takes effect, and every four years 
thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall analyze the Authority’s operations and provide to 
Congress a report regarding the performance of the Au-
thority, limited to the Authority’s effectiveness as an anti- 
doping organization and the efficiency of such anti-doping 
program. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY AND POWERS OF THOROUGHBRED 
HORSERACING ANTI–DOPING AUTHORITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Authority, after notice to and 
with appropriate opportunity for comment from Thor-
oughbred industry representatives and the public, shall de-
velop and administer the Thoroughbred horseracing anti- 
doping program for covered horses, covered persons, and 
covered horseraces. The Thoroughbred horseracing anti- 
doping program shall include— 
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(1) lists of permitted and prohibited substances 
and methods; 
(2) a schedule of sanctions for violations; 
(3) programs relating to anti-doping research 
and education; 
(4) testing procedures, standards, and protocols 
for both in-competition and out-of-competition test-
ing; 
(5) procedures for investigating, charging, and 
adjudicating violations and for the enforcement of 
sanctions for violations; and 
(6) laboratory standards for accreditation and 
testing requirements, procedures, and protocols. 
(b) COVERED HORSES AND PERSONS.—The Thor-
oughbred horseracing anti-doping program developed pur-
suant to subsection (a) shall apply to all covered horses, 
covered persons, and covered horseraces. As a condition 
of eligibility to participate in covered horseraces, covered 
persons agree that they and their covered horses shall be 
bound by the provisions of the Thoroughbred horseracing 
anti-doping program developed pursuant to subsection (a). 
(c) LIMITATION OF AUTHORITY.—The jurisdiction 
and authority of the Authority shall be prospective only. 
It shall have no authority or responsibility to investigate, 
prosecute, adjudicate or penalize conduct occurring prior 
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