House Bill Aims to Provide Horse Racing Jockey Coverage

U.S. Representatives Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., and Bart Stupak, D-Mich., have introduced a measure that would provide insurance for horse jockeys, exercise riders, trainers and backside personnel.

HR 2175 proposes to amend the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 to require horsemen’s groups and host racing commissions to offer insurance coverage for professional jockeys and other horseracing personnel, as a condition to the consent for off-track wagering.

According to the bill, at least 50 percent of the fees that horsemen’s groups receive would go to state racing commissions that would use the revenue to offer health and injury insurance for workers that may be injured during their employment.

“There is a need for the Federal government, in ensuring such cooperation, to ensure that jockeys, exercise riders, and backside personnel and trainers who may be injured in the performance of their official duties while employed or under contract in horseracing receive insurance coverage,” the bill’s authors said.

The bill also would ban horses that have received anabolic steroids from being the subject of off-track wagers.

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Source: Library of Congress