House Bill 6064
Sponsor: Rep. John Llewellyn
Committee: Agriculture
Complete to 11-3-98
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 6064 AS INTRODUCED 9-16-98
The bill would amend the Horse Racing Law of 1995 in the following ways.
Veterinary treatment of race horses. Under the Horse Racing Law, people are prohibited from administering certain medications to a horse "that is intended to be entered, is entered, or participates" in a race meeting. The bill would amend the act to specify that the prohibition would apply if the horse "will participate" in a race within 48 hours after receiving medication.
Further, the act prohibits the possession of certain drugs, controlled substances, and syringes and hypodermic needles in buildings both within the confines of a licensed racetrack and off-track facilities. The bill would clarify that a person could possess and orally administer drugs, foreign substances, or controlled substances to a horse within the confines of a racetrack, stable, shed, building, or grounds of a licensed race meeting as long as the medications were obtained from a veterinarian licensed under the act, were within accepted standards of veterinary practice in the state, and were labeled and stored in a manner and form prescribed by the racing commissioner. Further, a true and complete written record of the veterinarian's examination, examination findings, diagnosis and treatment of the horse, and all drugs or foreign substances prescribed for the horse by that veterinarian would have to be provided to the commissioner for review upon request. Persons administering drugs, foreign substances, controlled substances, or using or possessing syringes and hypodermic needles for use on a horse within the confines of off-track facilities housing horses eligible to race on the racetrack of the race meeting licensee would be subject to the same requirements.
American Paint Horses. The racing law specifically allows for pari-mutuel wagering on race meetings of thoroughbred, standardbred, quarter-horse, Appaloosa, and Arabian horses, and contains provisions specifying how money from the Michigan Agriculture Equine Industry Development Fund is to be expended to for programs relating to each breed. The bill would add language to the racing law allowing pari-mutuel wagering on race meetings of American paint horses, and language specifying certain sums to be paid for American paint horse programs. These would include:
A sum to supplement the purses for races to be conducted exclusively for Michigan-bred American paint horses.
A sum to pay not more than 75 percent of the purses for registered American paint horse races offered by fairs.
A sum to pay breeders' awards in an amount not to exceed 10 percent of the gross purse to the breeders of Michigan-bred American paint horses for each time a Michigan-bred American paint horse wins at a county fair or licensed race meeting in the state.
A sum to pay for the collection and laboratory analysis of urine, saliva, blood, and other samples from horses and licensed persons and the taking of blood alcohol tests on jockeys for these races, and for other required tests under the act.
Breed definitions. The racing law contains specific definitions of "Michigan bred quarter horse", "Michigan bred Appaloosa", and "Michigan bred Arabian". The bill would delete each of these definitions, and instead specify that each of those terms (as well as "Michigan bred American paint horse") would be defined as they are defined in administrative rule.
MCL 431.310 et al.
Analyst: D. Martens