Horseracing oversight shifts from federal to state-run private organization

What it does

This bill repeals the 2020 Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and replaces it with a new system where states voluntarily join an interstate compact to create the Racehorse Health and Safety Organization (RHSO). The RHSO would set uniform rules for medication control and racetrack safety across Thoroughbred, Standardbred, and Quarter Horse racing, with breed-specific committees drafting rules and a 9-member board (dominated by the 5 largest racing states) approving them. States fund the system through breed-specific fees on racing participants, and the RHSO enforces rules through state racing commissions or directly.

Why we flagged it

The bill fundamentally reorganizes federal horseracing oversight from a centralized federal agency (HISA) to a state-compact-based private organization (RHSO), shifting governance authority and enforcement mechanisms while maintaining substantive safety and medication rules.

What the text implies

• Repeal of HISA removes federal enforcement authority; RHSO is a private interstate organization not subject to Federal Advisory Committee Act, reducing transparency and public participation compared to federal agency rulemaking.
• Non-member states can still conduct interstate off-track wagering on races in member states, creating a two-tier system where horses from non-compliant states may race under weaker rules if they enter member-state races.
• Breed-specific funding and rule-making may fragment horseracing oversight; Quarter Horse and Standardbred industries gain separate committees but lose unified federal standards.
• The 5 largest racing states control 5 of 9 board seats, potentially marginalizing smaller racing states and creating incentives for large states to block rule changes that increase costs.
• Trainers face a rebuttable presumption of liability for medication violations, shifting burden of proof and potentially increasing liability exposure without corresponding due-process safeguards.

Who it affects

The bill strengthens horse welfare protections (medication control, racetrack safety standards, injury reporting) and creates more transparent, science-based rule-making with public comment periods. However, it shifts enforcement from federal oversight to a state-dominated private organization, potentially weakening accountability; non-member states can still race horses under weaker rules, and the system depends on voluntary state participation with no federal backstop.

Who stands to gain

• State racing commissions (gain enforcement authority and fee revenue)
• Breed registries (US Trotting Association, American Quarter Horse Association, Jockey Club gain comm
• Racetracks in large racing states (benefit from board dominance by 5 largest states)

Named in the bill

Racehorse Health and Safety Organization (RHSO), State racing commissions, US Trotting Association, American Quarter Horse Association, National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, Jockey Club, Association of Racing Commissioners International, National Thoroughbred Racing Association Safety and Integrity Alliance, Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020 (repealed)

Where it stands

4 cosponsors: 3 Democrats, 1 Republicans.

• May 14, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• May 14, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

4 lobbying clients named this bill on 7 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $790,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 5 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 72% of bills with at least one filing.

Clay Higgins, the sponsor, reported $138,570 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• American Ambulance Association — $650,000 on 2 filings
• United States Trotting Association (usta) — $60,000 on 2 filings
• National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (hbpa) — $40,000 on 2 filings
• National Thoroughbred Racing Association — $40,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.