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SENATE BILL 231
C6 6lr0123
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 228
By: Chair, Budget and Taxation Committee (By Request – Departmental – Labor)
Requested: September 17, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 28, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Horse Racing – Prohibited Acts – Slaughter of Racehorses for Commercial 2
Purposes 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from slaughtering or causing the slaughter of a 4
racehorse in the State for certain commercial purposes; prohibiting a person from 5
purchasing, s elling, transferring, offering for sale, import ing into the State , or 6
transporting a racehorse if the person knows or reasonably should know that the 7
racehorse will be slaughtered for certain c ommercial purpose s; requiring certain 8
fines collected by the State Racing Commission to be distributed to the racing Special 9
Fund; authorizing the State Racing Commission and the State Department of 10
Agriculture to revoke or suspend certain licenses under certain circumstances; and 11
generally relating to the slaughter of racehorses for commercial purposes. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Business Regulation 14
Section 11–402 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
BY adding to 18
Article – Business Regulation 19
Section 11–1002 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 22
2 SENATE BILL 231
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Business Regulation 3
11–402. 4
The Special Fund consists of: 5
(1) the State share of daily licensee fees; 6
(2) pari–mutuel taxes; 7
(3) the impact aid under § 11–812 of this title; 8
(4) money from uncashed pari–mutuel tickets that are from bets made into 9
the betting pools of licensees; 10
(5) any permit fees under §§ 11–820 and 11–832 of this title; [and] 11
(6) subject to § 11–403(a)(9) and (b) of this subtitle, money from the State 12
Lottery Fund distributed under § 9–120(b) of the State Government Article; AND 13
(7) ANY FINES COLLECTED UNDER § 11–1002(D) OF THIS TITLE. 14
11–1002. 15
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “RACEHORSE” MEANS A HORSE: 16
(1) BRED OR INTENDED FOR RACING, INCLUDING A WEANLING , 17
YEARLING, HORSE IN TRAINING, OR RACEHORSE BREEDING STOCK WITH A RECORD 18
OF HAVING PRODUCED OR SIRED OFFSPRING INTENDED FOR RACING; OR 19
(2) THAT HAS BEEN RECORDED ON THE BACKSTRETCH OF A TRACK IN 20
THE STATE, HAS HAD A RECORDED WORKO UT ON A TRACK IN THE STATE, OR HAS 21
PARTICIPATED IN A RACE MEETING IN THE STATE WHERE PARI–MUTUEL BETTING 22
IS ALLOWED. 23
(B) A PERSON MAY NOT: 24
(1) SLAUGHTER OR CAUSE THE SLAUGHTER OF A RACEHORSE IN THE 25
STATE FOR ANY COMMERCIAL PURPOSE , INCLUDING FOR HUMAN OR ANIMAL 26
CONSUMPTION; OR 27
SENATE BILL 231 3
(2) PURCHASE, SELL, TRANSFER, OFFER FOR SALE, IMPORT INTO THE 1
STATE, OR TRANSPORT A RACEHORSE IF THE PERSON KNOWS OR REASONABLY 2
SHOULD KNOW THAT THE RACEHORSE WILL BE SLAUGHTERED FOR A COMMERCIAL 3
PURPOSE, INCLUDING FOR HUMAN OR ANIMAL CONSUMPTION. 4
(C) (1) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO VIO LATES THIS SECTION I S GUILTY OF A 5
MISDEMEANOR AND ON CONVICTION: 6
(I) FOR A F IRST OFFENSE , IS SUBJECT TO A FINE NOT 7
EXCEEDING $1,000 OR IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 1 YEAR OR BOTH; OR 8
(II) FOR A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE, IS SUBJECT TO A 9
FINE NOT EXCEEDING $2,000 OR IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 1 YEAR OR BOTH. 10
(2) A CORPORATION, PARTNERSHIP, OR ANY OTHER ENTITY THAT 11
VIOLATES THIS SECTION: 12
(I) FOR A FIRST OFFENSE , IS SUBJECT TO A FINE NOT 13
EXCEEDING $2,500; OR 14
(II) FOR A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE, IS SUBJECT TO A 15
FINE NOT EXCEEDING $5,000. 16
(D) FINES COLLECTED BY TH E COMMISSION AS A RESULT OF VIOLA TIONS 17
UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE SPECIAL FUND ESTABLISHED 18
UNDER § 11–401 OF THIS TITLE. 19
(E) IF THE COMMISSION OR THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 20
FINDS THAT A PERSON HAS VIOLATED THIS SECTION: 21
(1) THE COMMISSION MAY REVOKE OR SUSPEND ANY LICENSE 22
ISSUED TO THE PERSON BY THE COMMISSION; AND 23
(2) THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MAY REVOK E OR 24
SUSPEND ANY LICENSE ISSUED TO THE PERSON BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 25
AGRICULTURE. 26
(F) THE COMMISSION, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT 27
OF AGRICULTURE, SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF 28
THIS SECTION. 29
(G) NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO PROHIBIT 30
HUMANE EUTHANASIA OF A RACEHORSE BY A LICENSED VETERI NARIAN FOR 31
4 SENATE BILL 231
REASONS UNRELATED TO COMMERCIAL PURPOSES, INCLUDING SEVERE INJ URY, 1
MAIMING, OR INJURY THAT RESULTS IN NO QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE RACEHORSE, 2
AS DETERMINED BY A LICENSED VETERINARIAN. 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 4
1, 2026. 5
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.