[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3335 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3335
To amend the Wire Act to clarify that gambling on commercial greyhound
racing and field coursing using wire communication technology is
prohibited.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 19, 2021
Mr. Cardenas (for himself, Mr. Waltz, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Salazar, Mrs.
Murphy of Florida, and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Wire Act to clarify that gambling on commercial greyhound
racing and field coursing using wire communication technology is
prohibited.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Greyhound Protection Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND POLICY.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) Greyhounds have existed for thousands of years and are
the only canines mentioned by name in the Bible.
(2) Commercial greyhound racing was first legalized in
Florida in 1931.
(3) Modern racetracks require internet-based wire
communications to process bets and wagers, calculate odds,
broadcast races, announce results, and pay winnings to
gamblers.
(4) Public records reveal that some greyhounds used for
live commercial racing suffer serious injuries including broken
backs, broken necks, head trauma, paralysis, seizures, and
electrocution.
(5) State records show that some racing greyhounds test
positive for drugs including cocaine, amphetamines,
barbituates, opiods, and steroids.
(6) State investigatory files document that racing
greyhounds are kept confined for 20-23 hours a day in stacked,
metal cages, typically with little opportunity to socialize
with other dogs.
(7) Many small animals, including but not limited to
rabbits and hares, are bought, sold, delivered, transported,
and received in interstate and foreign commerce for use as live
bait in the training of racing greyhounds and in open field
coursing.
(8) Typically, animals used in the live lure training of
greyhounds may be dragged on ropes, hung from a horizontal pole
which rotates around a training track or simply set loose to be
chased and mauled. Alive or dead, helpless bait animals may be
used repeatedly until they are torn apart.
(9) Live lure training is prohibited in more than a dozen
States, but there is no Federal statute. In the late 1970's,
the National Greyhound Association, a membership organization
representing breeders, trainers and other industry
participants, announced a policy against live lure training in
order to convince then-Senators Birch Bayh and Robert Dole to
withdraw their proposed legislation.
(10) Open field coursing preceded commercial dog racing and
is an activity in which greyhounds or other sighthounds are
released to pursue and kill bait animals, often in a fenced
area. Greyhounds often collide and suffer injuries in the
chase.
(11) Dog owners travel from multiple States and countries
to compete and win prizes and sometimes gamble on open field
coursing events.
(12) As with commercial greyhound racing, internet sites
are used to promote coursing tournaments and post results to a
worldwide audience.
(13) The National Field Coursing Association is the
umbrella group for coursing clubs nationwide and had 12 clubs
in California as of 2006.
(14) Open field coursing is illegal in as many as 12
States.
(15) Open field coursing was prohibited as a blood sport in
Scotland in 2002 and in the United Kingdom in 2004.
(16) Twenty-five years ago, there were 60 greyhound tracks
in the United States. Once a voter-approved ballot measure
prohibiting greyhound racing takes full effect in Florida in
2020 and the voluntary shut down of Southland Park in Arkansas
takes place as of 2022, no more than 5 tracks will remain
throughout the country.
(17) According to the State of Florida, track owners had
been collectively losing more than $30 million annually because
of sagging attendance and decreased wagering. According to a
State-commissioned report, the State spent more money
regulating the industry in its national hub than it generated
in tax revenue.
(18) As of December 31, 2022, live commercial dog racing
will be illegal in 41 States. This dying industry will remain
legal and operational in no more than 4 States.
(b) Policy.--It is the policy of the Congress in this chapter to
prohibit the use of wire communications for the purpose of gambling on
live, commercial greyhound racing and open field coursing events and to
prohibit the transport of animals including but not limited to
greyhounds, rabbits, and hares in interstate and foreign commerce in
furtherance of these activities.
SEC. 3. PROTECTION OF GREYHOUNDS.
Section 1084 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following new section:
``(f) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to
authorize gambling on commercial greyhound racing taking place
domestically or internationally using wire communications or to permit
the transport of animals for the purpose of conducting or furthering
commercial dog racing, live lure training or field coursing.''.
SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act, shall be
construed--
(1) to preempt any State law prohibiting gambling or
protecting the welfare of animals including but not limited to
greyhounds, rabbits, and hares; or
(2) to alter, limit, or extend the relationship between the
Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) as
it relates to horse racing and other Federal laws in effect on
the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendment made by section 3 shall take effect on December 31,
2022.
<all>