PRINTER'S NO. 975
No. 868 Session of 1977
INTRODUCED BY BURNS, J. L. WRIGHT JR., WILSON AND WEIDNER,
MARCH 30, 1977
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 30, 1977
AN ACT
1 Restricting the use of phenylbutazone, stimulants or depressants
2 on race horses, creating a presumption and providing
3 penalties.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Prohibition.
7 No person shall, or attempt to, or shall conspire with
8 another or others to:
9 (1) Stimulate or depress or medicate a horse through the
10 administration of phenylbutazone or any drug, medication,
11 stimulant, depressant, hypnotic or narcotic.
12 (2) Use any electrical device or any electrical
13 equipment or any mechanical or other appliance not generally
14 accepted as regulation racing equipment to stimulate,
15 depress, goad, spur or retard a horse during a race, a warmup
16 in preparation therefor, or in the paddock before a race.
17 (3) Freeze or ice a horse's leg or legs within the
18 paddock area on the day in which such horse is programmed to
1 race.
2 (4) Administer phenylbutazone or any drug, medicant,
3 stimulant, depressant, narcotic or hypnotic to a horse within
4 48 hours of its race.
5 Section 2. Presumption.
6 Presence of phenylbutazone or any drug, medicant, stimulant,
7 depressant, narcotic or hypnotic in the blood, saliva or
8 excretions of a horse on the day of its race will be considered
9 prima facie evidence of the prohibited use of these substances
10 under section 1(4).
11 Section 3. Disposition.
12 Any person who violates this act shall, upon conviction in a
13 summary proceeding, be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding
14 $300 and the license of the trainer shall be suspended in the
15 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a period of 30 consecutive
16 racing dates.
17 Section 4. Effective date.
18 This act shall take effect immediately.
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