What's happening
This bill requires horse owners and trainers to complete online training on responsible and humane retirement of racehorses as a licensing condition.
Why it matters
Promotes better animal welfare. By mandating training on responsible and humane retirement, the bill aims to reduce cases of racehorse neglect, abandonment, or inhumane treatment after their racing careers end.
Raises industry standards. Owners and trainers will be required to understand and uphold higher standards regarding the lifetime care of horses, potentially influencing broader ethical practices in horse racing.
Provides consistent, statewide education. With a standardized online course and educational materials distributed by equine veterinarians, the bill ensures all licensed trainers and owners receive up-to-date, uniform information about their responsibilities.
Increases accountability and transparency. Making this training a licensing requirement gives regulatory bodies a concrete tool to enforce responsible horse retirement practices, holding owners and trainers legally accountable.
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Who cares
Licensed racehorse owners and trainers
The bill would require them to complete an online course on their responsibilities, including responsible and humane racehorse retirement, as a condition of licensure.
Equine veterinarians
They would be required to distribute educational materials on responsible and humane horse retirement.
New York State agriculture officials
They would be tasked with establishing the retirement education materials and the online training course.
Headline styles
Require Humane Horse Retirement Training
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to racing, gaming and wagering
- Referred to racing, gaming and wagering
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require Humane Horse Retirement Training
In Assembly Committee · Racing And Wagering · Sponsor Deborah Glick
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6221
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 23, 2019
Introduced by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering
AN ACT to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law and the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the notification of responsible and humane retirement of horses to trainers and owners
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law is amended by adding a new section 130 to read as follows:
§ 130. Completion of online training course. Any owner or trainer that is required to be licensed pursuant to this chapter, shall complete an online training course, established pursuant to subdivision fifty-one of section sixteen of the agriculture and markets law, detailing the responsibilities of the owner and trainer as a condition of such license.
§ 2. Section 16 of the agriculture and markets law is amended by adding two new subdivisions 50 and 51 to read as follows:
50. Establish educational material regarding the responsible and humane retirement of horses which shall be distributed by equine veterinarians in the state.
51. Establish an online training course to be administered to owners and trainers detailing the responsibilities of such owners and trainers, including the responsible and humane retirement of race horses.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that section two of this act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law; the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05015-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law and the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the notification of responsible and humane retirement of horses to trainers and owners
Purpose or general idea of bill
An act to amend the racing, pari-mutual wagering arid breeding law and the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the notification of responsible and humane retirement of horses to trainers and owners
Summary of specific provisions
Amendment that requires any owner or trainer to complete an online training course. Any owner or trainer that is required to be licensed pursuant to this chapter, shall complete an online training course, established pursuant to subdivision forty-seven of section sixteen of the agriculture and.markets law, detailing the responsibilities of the owner and trainer as a condition of such license.
Amend agriculture and markets law by adding two new subdivisions: establish educational material regarding the responsible and humane retirement of horses which shall be distributed by equine veterinarians of the state; and, establish an online training course to be adminis- tered to owners and training detailing the responsibilities of such owners and trainers, including the responsible and humane retirement of race horses.
Justification
Lake Research Partners claim 80 percent of Americans oppose horse slaughter. Not only is it expensive to taxpayers but it has proven to be inhumane and a danger to communities across the country. The FDA does not regulate horses as food animals since they receive numerous types of medication throughout their lives and kill buyers cannot know their medical history. Additionally, horse slaughterhouses prove a great threat to the environment - nuisance odors, chronic sewer and environ- mental violations, and the inability for horses' blood to break down due to certain antibiotics prevents slaughterhouses from using their blood and organs for dry blood mill.
Owners and trainers of horses accept the responsibility to humanely care for and train their animals. As such, this responsibility needs to be continued until the end of the horse's life. The New York State Task Force on Retired Racehorses has recommended a number of legislative and regulatory actions to better care for the animal and communities involved. The Task Force is adamant that owners and trainers be instilled with a responsibility to care for their horses throughout their entire lifespan, which will be encouraged and mandated through suggested educational material.
Prior legislative history
2017-18: A3717 Referred to Racing and Wagering
2015-16: Referred to racing and wagering 2014: A8988 - referred to Racing and Wagering.
Fiscal implications
To be determined
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that section two of this act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law; the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.