Rep. Pitts reintroduces medication-oversight bill

U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania has reintroduced legislation he sponsored two years ago that would appoint a private company, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, as the overseer of racing’s medication policies, according to his office.

The bill, which did not pass out of committee in the previous congressional session, differs in critical respects from legislation that is expected to be introduced soon by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko of New York. Tonko’s legislation, which would give the USADA a large role in setting and enforcing medication policies, was written by The Jockey Club and is supported by a small but influential coalition of racing organizations.

Two days before the 2015 Kentucky Derby, Pitts co-introduced legislation that would repeal the Interstate Horseracing Act, citing his dissatisfaction with racing’s medication policies. That bill has been called dead on arrival by racing officials because it would lead to a complete shutdown in racing in the U.S.

In addition to appointing the USADA, the reintroduced legislation would ban the race-day use of all medication, which, in the vast majority of U.S. racing jurisdictions, is limited to the regulated anti-bleeding medication furosemide. The Tonko bill will not contain an explicit ban, Tonko has said, though it is expected that a push will be made to ban race-day furosemide if the bill becomes law. Many horsemen have expressed opposition to any legislative effort to ban race-day use of the drug.

Pitts’s release referenced American Pharoah, the horse who is entered in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday in an attempt to win the Triple Crown. In the past, Pitts has timed his announcements of racing-related legislation on the eve of major events.