Congress is not likely to act on bills regarding equine medication and Internet gambling this year according to American Horse Council President Jay Hickey.
Hickey has been based in Washington since 1993. Speaking at a law conference in Kentucky, he said there is no consensus on the bills and Congress isn’t likely to take them on.
The Interstate Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which calls for the United States Anti-Doping Agency to regulate equine medication use, has had only one hearing, Hickey said.
“Most of the racing industry supports uniform model reforms,” Hickey said of the National Uniform Medication Program. “It’s a very complicated issue, and feelings are running high. We’ll see if Congress and others will step in. It’s sort of like the internet gambling issue. In my opinion it will be very hard to pass federal legislation unless there is a consensus and some form of uniformity in the industry.”
Hickey noted that there are several bills focusing on online gambling before Congress, including one that would ban it entirely.
“What’s going to happen with all this? Probably nothing,” Hickey said. “I don’t think Congress is ready to take action on the issue. There is too much confusion. There are too many factions involved.”
