HISA Anti-Doping and Medication Control Rule
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020 recognizes a self-regulatory nonprofit organization, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, which is charged with developing proposed rules on a variety of subjects. Those proposed rules and later proposed rule modifications take effect only if approved by the Federal Trade Commission. The proposed rules and rule modifications must be published in the Federal Register for public comment. Thereafter, the Commission has 60 days from the date of publication to approve or disapprove the proposed rule or rule modification. The Authority submitted to the Commission a proposed rule on Anti-Doping and Medication Control on August 17, 2022 and supplemented on October 13, 2022. The Office of the Secretary of the Commission determined that the proposal complied with the Commission's rule governing such submissions. This document publicizes the Authority's proposed rule text and explanation, and it seeks public comment on whether the Commission should approve or disapprove the proposed rule.
What this rule actually says
This rule sets anti-doping and medication control standards for horse racing—think drug testing, approved vs. banned substances, and oversight of veterinary care for racehorses. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) wrote it, the FTC is deciding whether to approve it, and it's currently in public comment period.
Who it applies to
- If you're building AI for horse racing operations (race scheduling, horse health monitoring, veterinary decision support): this applies to you
- If you're building anything else (medical scribes, hiring tools, support chatbots, etc.): this does not apply
- Jurisdiction: United States only (horse racing regulation)
- Data scope: limited to horse health records, medication histories, and racing eligibility data if you're in the horse racing ecosystem
What founders need to do
- Check if you actually work in horse racing (~5 minutes). Read the rule title again. If your product doesn't touch horse racing, you're done.
- If you do work in horse racing, review the proposed rule text (~2-3 hours). The FTC document above links to the full Anti-Doping and Medication Control Rule. Understand which substances are banned, what testing is required, and what documentation your AI system needs to support.
- If the rule affects you, submit a public comment (optional, ~4-6 hours). The FTC is actively seeking feedback before deciding. If the rule would be hard to comply with or creates problems, tell them now—that's the point of the comment period.
- Monitor the FTC's decision (ongoing, ~5 minutes monthly). The FTC has 60 days from publication to approve or reject. Once approved (or rejected), you'll know whether to build compliance into your product roadmap.
- Plan compliance if approved (timing depends on rule complexity). If the FTC approves, you'll need to ensure your AI system can track and report on medication protocols, banned substances, and testing records according to HISA's standards.
Bottom line
Monitor only — unless you're specifically building AI for horse racing, ignore this; if you are, watch for the FTC's approval decision (expected by late December 2022) then plan accordingly.