What's happening
This bill creates a dedicated fund, supported by racing revenues and fees, to support responsible retirement and rescue programs for racehorses in New York.
Why it matters
Redirects existing racing revenues and fees. including a portion of gaming commissions, race purses, and breeding fund revenues—toward horse retirement, meaning the industry itself will financially support aftercare rather than relying solely on donations or public funds.
Establishes official oversight and eligibility requirements. for organizations receiving funds, requiring approved rescues to demonstrate financial stability, long-term commitment, and proper horse care, which could raise the standard of aftercare and limit funding to reputable, effective programs.
Introduces a new horse registration fee. , making owners and breeders financially contribute directly to the responsible retirement of racehorses, which may affect the economics of horse ownership and breeding in New York.
Increases transparency and accountability. by having the commissioner of agriculture and markets, in consultation with various stakeholders, maintain a public list of eligible, nonprofit rescues, potentially fostering trust in the system and public confidence in the industry’s social responsibility.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
- Likely support
Nonprofit horse retirement and rescue programs
Tax-exempt programs approved by the agriculture and markets commissioner would be eligible for funding to support retired thoroughbreds and standardbreds, including horses bred to race that never competed.
Racetracks, video lottery operators and racehorse owners
The bill would direct one-half of one percent of video lottery gaming commissions and all purses at New York tracks into the retirement fund.
Horse breeding funds and horse registrants
The bill would divert portions of two breeding funds’ revenues to racehorse retirement and require the agriculture and New York state horse breeding development fund to establish a horse registration fee.
Department of Agriculture and Markets
The commissioner would approve eligible rescue programs, consult farm bureau, breeder and animal welfare groups on eligibility factors, and certify or approve payments from the fund.
Headline styles
Fund Racehorse Retirement Programs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to ways and means
- Referred to ways and means
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
822
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. GLICK, ROSENTHAL, COOK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to the creation of the responsible retirement of racehorses fund; to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in relation to a horse registration fee; and to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the responsible retirement of racehorses
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-l to read as follows:
§ 95-l. Responsible retirement of racehorses fund. 1. There is hereby established in the sole custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance a special fund to be known as the "responsible retirement of racehorses fund". Monies in the fund shall be kept separate from and not commingled with other funds held in the sole custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance.
2. (a) Such fund shall consist of all revenues received by the department of taxation and finance pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subdivision and all other money appropriated, credited, or transferred thereto from any other fund or source pursuant to law. Nothing contained herein shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts or bequests for the purposes of the fund as defined in this section and depositing them into the fund according to law.
(b) The sources of the "responsible retirement of racehorses fund" shall be as follows:
(i) one-half of one percent of the commissions from video lottery gaming revenue from New York's tracks and Resorts World Casino New York
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03057-01-5
City and any video lottery gaming added after this section shall have become a law;
(ii) one-half of one percent of all purses at the New York state tracks;
(iii) five percent of the New York state thoroughbred breeding and development fund annual revenue; and
(iv) ten percent of fees generated by the agriculture and New York state horse breeding development fund pursuant to section three hundred thirty of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law.
3. The moneys in said account shall be retained by the fund and shall be payable from the fund by the commissioner of taxation and finance on vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner of agriculture and markets or the commissioner of agriculture's designee and only for the purposes set forth in this section.
4. The moneys in such fund shall be expended for the purpose of supporting responsible horse retirement of thoroughbreds and standardbreds in New York state. Eligible horse retirement and rescue programs are those approved by the commissioner of agriculture and markets.
§ 2. Section 330 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law is amended by adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
6. The fund is directed to establish a horse registration fee for each horse registered pursuant to this chapter, with the proceeds of such fee to be credited to the fund.
§ 3. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new section 387 to read as follows:
§ 387. Responsible retirement of racehorses. 1. The commissioner shall compile a list of approved horse retirement and rescue programs eligible to receive funding from the responsible retirement of racehorses fund established pursuant to section ninety-five-l of the state finance law. The eligibility of a rescue program shall be determined based upon the economic sustainability of the rescue, the rescue's long term stability, the rescue's demonstration of an ongoing commitment to the proper care of horses, and such other factors as the commissioner shall deem appropriate after consultation with the farm bureau, horse breeder associations and societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals and humane societies. All approved rescues must be non-profit organizations which are tax-exempt pursuant to the provisions of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
2. For purposes of this section the term racehorse shall include a horse whose racing career has concluded or a horse that was bred to race but has never competed in a race.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.