The U.S. Senate passed a $1.7 trillion aggregate spending bill on December 22 to continue funding federal agencies and include language to help the Safety and Security Administration. Integrity in Horse Racing overcomes legal challenges.
The bill passed by a vote of 68-29 and is currently moving to the US House of Representatives to consider possible changes and vote before it can be sent to President Joe Biden for signature into law.
The HISA clarification language, a subsection of the massive 4,155-page spending bill, gives the Federal Trade Commission additional powers to “repeal, add to, and amend the Agency’s rules.” This comes after a U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling last month determined that the law allowing HISA was unconstitutional, with judges questioning whether the Agency was part of the FTC.
Other challenges are continuing to make their way through the courts, with a HISA-related ruling pending in the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals on similar constitutional issues.
Earlier this week, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced their intention to submit an amendment to remove changes to HISA from the spending bill, but move that state is not included in the proposed amendment voting package. before the Senate for a vote.
HISA, a private organization, was established by Congress in late 2020 to establish and enforce a nationally consistent set of rules in Thoroughbred racing. Implementation of the planned anti-doping and drug control rules was delayed following the Fifth Circle ruling.
