Source: http://mhc-legislative.blogspot.com/2013_04_01_archive.html
Timestamp: 2017-03-30 08:49:12
Document Index: 550215976

Matched Legal Cases: ['§11', '§9', '§ 9', 'art. 66', '§ 11', '§ 2']

Maryland Horse Council Legislative Updates Blog: April 2013
Equine Vets and Controlled Substances
MHC Executive Committee Member (soon to be MHC VP) and equine vet Dr. Peter Radue recently received this letter from The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). Under current federal law, it is illegal for any veterinarian to use controlled substances away from his/her licensed premises. This means that technically, vets are prohibited from carrying and using medications for pain management and euthanasia, if necessary, at your farm or stable. Although the law has not previously enforced, DEA has recently warned vets in California and Washington state that they are in violation. If you believe that equine and other mobile vets should be able to carry controlled substances in their trucks please contact your congressman using the link below. If vets are unable to carry controlled substances they will be unable to address emergency situations requiring pain relief or euthanasia.
Dear Dr. Radue:
The AAEP Welfare and Public Policy Advisory Council is working with the AVMA and Congress to ensure that veterinarians can provide complete care to their animal patients. With the recent introduction of the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2013 (H.R. 1528) we have the opportunity to make an impact.
As large animal veterinarians, most of us have frequent need to use controlled substances to treat our patients at the stables, ranches, farms and other sites where they live. However, the provisions of the existing Controlled Substances Act
(CSA) make it illegal for any veterinarian to transport and/or use controlled substances outside of the DEA license location that is registered for that individual. This means that it is currently illegal for veterinarians to carry and use these vital medications for pain management, anesthesia or euthanasia on farms, at house calls, in veterinary mobile clinics, or in ambulatory response situations.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which enforces the law, has informed organized veterinary medicine that without a statutory change, many veterinarians are in violation of the CSA and cannot legally administer controlled substances away from their registry site. The DEA has already notified some veterinarians in California and Washington State that they are in violation of this law.
We encourage you to contact your members of Congress and urge them to support the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2013 (H.R. 1528). This act would amend the CSA that currently prohibits veterinarians from transporting controlled substances to treat their animal patients outside of their registered locations.
Please join us in telling Congress that veterinarians need to be able to transport controlled substances to the locations of their animal patients, not only for the health and welfare of the nation’s animals, but for public safety.
The link below takes you to the AVMA Legislative Action Center where you can easily express your support of H.R. 1528. Contact information for your representative(s) is generated automatically by your zip code and a message which you may edit is provided.
Ann E, Dwyer, DVM
2013 AAEP President
INFORMATION ON RECENT BOWIE RACE COURSE TRAINING CENTER LEGISLATION
INFORMATION ON RECENT BOWIE RACE COURSE
TRAINING CENTER LEGISLATION
Current Maryland State law requires the
Bowie Race Course Training Facility to operate as a thoroughbred training
facility. Numerous attempts have
been made in the past few years to repeal that law, but none have passed. Current State statute also states that
when the facility is no longer required for thoroughbred training, the State
will have first right of refusal for the property, followed by the City of
Bowie. The current law will have
to be repealed in order to stop thoroughbred training at Bowie, which can not
happen until the next legislative session.
Background 1. Current State statute 11-519 requires
Bowie to operate as a thoroughbred training facility. That statute has not been
repealed, although Senator Peters' bill in 2013, and Senator Peters' and
Delegates Hubbard’s and Valentino-Smith’s bills in 2011 attempted to do
so. None of those bills repealing
the statute have passed. Under
current statute, Bowie will have to continue as a thoroughbred training
facility at least through the next legislative session when another attempt to
repeal the statute could be introduced. Statute Text:
“Article - Business
Regulation §11–519.
(a) The owner of the
Bowie Race Course Training Center shall operate the Center as a thoroughbred
training facility to provide more stall space for a race meeting that a
licensee holds.
(b) The owner of the
Bowie Race Course Training Center is responsible for the cost to improve,
maintain, and operate the Center.
(c) As long as the Bowie
Race Course Training Center is used for the purpose specified in subsection (a)
of this section, the Commission shall have general regulatory jurisdiction over
the Center to:
(1) provide enough
(2) maintain safe
(3) require the owner of
the Center to submit an annual operating financial statement; and
(4) order reasonable
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmStatutesText.aspx?article=gbr&section=11-519&ext=html&session=2013RS&tab=subject5
Stature 11-519 requiring Bowie to
operate as a thoroughbred training facility has not been repealed in
legislation as of this date.
2. Below is a summary of the recent
proposed legislation to convey the Bowie Race Course Training Center to state,
county, and City of Bowie and to repeal the statute to operate Bowie as a
Thoroughbred training facility.
Bowie Race Course legislation included in Sen Peters’
original Senate bill SB961 -
Racing – Special Takeout and Bowie Race Course Training Center
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2013RS/bills/sb/sb0961f.pdf (original bill)
Pertinent language:
“… repealing certain requirements that a certain racing
licensee maintain the operation of the Center….
…BY repealing
and reenacting, with amendments, Article – Business Regulation Section 11–514 and 11–519 Annotated Code of Maryland (2010 Replacement
Volume and 2012 Supplement)…
…(4) ON CONVEYANCE, THE CITY OF
BOWIE MAY NOT BE REQUIRED TO OPERATE THE BOWIE RACE COURSE TRAINING CENTER AS A
THOROUGHBRED TRAINING FACILITY FOR ANY PURPOSE….
(Bowie portion, including 11-519
repeal, removed from SB961in amendment and passed in Senate and House and
signed into law April 9, 2013.)
http://legiscan.com/gaits/search?state=MD&bill=SB961
Bowie property conveyance and language referring to required
operation included in an amendment to proposed legislation for SB152 - Budget
Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2012 (Amendment attached, not
linked- see pages 5 and 6).
Note: Full SB152 and amendment did not
include 11-519 repeal as other legislation had; alternate language in section (4)(ii)1 below.
“(4) (i) A racing licensee of a racetrack location at Laurel
Park shall: 1. maintain the operation of the Bowie Training Center;
2. convey the
property associated with the Bowie Training Center as preserved land. (ii) 1. When the Bowie
Training Center is no longer required by the State to be operated as a
thoroughbred training facility, the State shall have the right of first
refusal as grantee for any conveyance under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph.
2. The City of Bowie shall have the second right of refusal
as grantee for any conveyance under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph. 3. A grantee under subsubparagraph 1 or 2 of this
subparagraph may not be required to operate the Bowie Training Center as a
training facility.”
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2012rs/bills/sb/sb0152f.pdf (Full SB152)
Sen Peters’ 2011 Senate bill SB491 - “Authorizing the owner of the Bowie Race
Course Training Center to convey the property associated with the training
center to the State, Prince George's County, or the City of Bowie; and
providing for the construction of specified provisions of law.” Included repeal
of 11-519.
http://legiscan.com/MD/bill/SB491/2011
Hubbard and Del Valentino-Smith’s 2011 House bill – HB557 - “Authorizing the owner of the Bowie Race
center to the State as preserved land under Program Open Space.” Included repeal of 11-519.
http://legiscan.com/MD/bill/HB557/2011
(Neither passed)
3. Current State statute (2011) states when
Bowie Training Center is no longer required to be operated as a thoroughbred
training facility, the State shall have first right of refusal for conveyance
of the property, and the City of Bowie has second right of refusal. This statute does not repeal 11-519.
Article 9-1A-09 – Article - State
“§9–1A–09. IN EFFECT
(a) As a condition of
eligibility for funding under § 9–1A–29 of this subtitle, a racing licensee
…(4) (i) A racing licensee
of a racetrack location at Laurel Park shall:
maintain the operation of the Bowie Training Center; or
convey the property associated with the Bowie Training Center as preserved
When the Bowie Training Center is no longer required by the State to be
operated as a thoroughbred training facility, the State shall have the right of
first refusal as grantee for any conveyance under subparagraph (i) of this
City of Bowie shall have the second right of refusal as grantee for any
conveyance under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph.
grantee under subsubparagraph 1 or 2 of this subparagraph may not be required
to operate the Bowie Training Center as a training facility.
9–1A–09. // EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 31, 2013 PER CHAPTER 412 OF 2011
…(4) If a video lottery
operation license is issued to a racetrack location at Laurel Park, the video
lottery operation licensee shall:
(ii) if State law no
longer requires the Bowie Training Center to operate as a training facility,
convey the property associated with the Bowie Training Center to the State as
preserved land under Program Open Space.” http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmStatutesText.aspx?article=gsg&section=9-1A-09&ext=html&session=2013RS&tab=subject5
4. Additional information of interest:
-Language in 10-year
“…The MTHA has also agreed to a closure
of Bowie Training Center on January 1, 2014 in return for a binding commitment
to build 300 net new stalls at Laurel Park funded in part by the MTHA to
properly accommodate horsemen displaced by the closure.”
And: “Highlights of the Agreement” - Bowie
Training Center -
and Commission approval to authorize the closing of Bowie is contingent upon
the construction of 300 new stalls at Laurel no later than December 31, 2014
and a requirement that Laurel Park and Pimlico remain open for year-round
stabling and training at no cost to the horsemen. Such legislation and Commission approval shall also provide
that Bowie may not be closed until completion of the initial 150 stalls.”
http://www.mdhorsemen.com/NewsletterArchive/2012/newsletter2012_12.pdf
Note: Even if
the 150 stalls are completed in 2013, the current statute has not been
repealed. Bowie will be
required to operate as a Thoroughbred training facility until a bill is introduced
and passed in a legislative session repealing that statute.
details on the agreement are also included in The Equiery’s blog post: “Finally, A Happy Christmas for Racing” (Dec. 18, 2012), but no Bowie
http://equiery.com/blog/?p=1509
"Rules of the road" for riding on roads
The Horse Council recently received an inquiry about what laws govern riding horses on public roads in Maryland. Thanks to MHC member, Kathleen Tabor, Esq. (www.ktaborlaw.com), here is the answer:
Basically the rider of a horse has the same rights and responsibilities as a driver of a car (minus having a license plate, turn signals, and other unapplicable provisions). See below:
MD Code Transp. 21-104 Persons riding animals or driving animal-drawn vehicles (Maryland Code (2013 Edition))
(a) In general. -- Every person riding an animal or driving an animal-drawn vehicle on a roadway has all the rights granted to and is subject to all the duties required of the driver of a vehicle by this title, except for those provisions of this title that by their very nature cannot apply.
(b) Special prohibitions. --
(1) Except in Charles, Worcester, and St. Mary's counties, or as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a person may not ride an animal or drive an animal-drawn vehicle on:
(i) Any divided highway where the posted maximum speed limit is more than 35 miles an hour; or
(ii) Any controlled access highway.
(2) In Anne Arundel County, a person may ride an animal on any part of a highway described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, other than on its roadway or shoulder.
HISTORY: An. Code 1957, art. 66 1/2, § 11-104; 1977, ch. 14, § 2; ch. 738.
INFORMATION ON RECENT BOWIE RACE COURSE TRAINING C...