,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ghbf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #bi1 #bjbj,mr4 ,crdenas 7for himself and ,mr4 ,cohen7 introduced the following bill2 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 prohibited4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,greyhound ,protection ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,congressional findings and policy 7a7 ,findings ,the ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,greyhounds have existed for thousands of years and are the only canines mentioned by name in the ,bible4 7#b7 ,commercial greyhound racing was first legalized in ,florida in #aica4 7#c7 ,modern racetracks require internet-based wire communications to process bets and wagers1 calculate odds1 broadcast races1 announce results1 and pay winnings to gamblers4 7#d7 ,public records reveal that some greyhounds used for live commercial racing suffer serious injuries including broken backs1 broken necks1 head trauma1 paralysis1 seizures1 and electrocution4 7#e7 ,state records show that some racing greyhounds test positive for drugs including cocaine1 amphetamines1 barbituates1 opiods1 and steroids4 7#f7 ,state investigatory files document that racing greyhounds are kept confined for #bj-bc hours a day in stacked1 metal cages1 typically with little opportunity to socialize with other dogs4 7#g7 ,many small animals1 including but not limited to rabbits and hares1 are bought1 sold1 delivered1 transported1 and received in interstate and foreign commerce for use as live bait in the training of racing greyhounds and in open field coursing4 7#h7 ,typically1 animals used in the live lure training of greyhounds may be dragged on ropes1 hung from a horizontal pole which rotates around a training track or simply set loose to be chased and mauled4 ,alive or dead1 helpless bait animals may be used repeatedly until they are torn apart4 7#i7 ,live lure training is prohibited in more than a dozen ,states1 but there is no ,federal statute4 ,in the late #aigj's1 the ,national ,greyhound ,association1 a membership organization representing breeders1 trainers and other industry participants1 announced a policy against live lure training in order to convince then-,senators ,birch ,bayh and ,robert ,dole to withdraw their proposed legislation4 7#aj7 ,open field coursing preceded commercial dog racing and is an activity in which greyhounds or other sighthounds are released to pursue and kill bait animals1 often in a fenced area4 ,greyhounds often collide and suffer injuries in the chase4 7#aa7 ,dog owners travel from multiple ,states and countries to compete and win prizes and sometimes gamble on open field coursing events4 7#ab7 ,as with commercial greyhound racing1 internet sites are used to promote coursing tournaments and post results to a worldwide audience4 7#ac7 ,the ,national ,field ,coursing ,association is the umbrella group for coursing clubs nationwide and had #ab clubs in ,california as of #bjjf4 7#ad7 ,open field coursing is illegal in as many as #ab ,states4 7#ae7 ,open field coursing was prohibited as a blood sport in ,scotland in #bjjb and in the ,united ,kingdom in #bjjd4 7#af7 ,twenty-five years ago1 there were #fj greyhound tracks in the ,united ,states4 ,once a voter-approved ballot measure prohibiting greyhound racing takes full effect in ,florida in #bjbj and the voluntary shut down of ,southland ,park in ,arkansas takes place as of #bjbb1 no more than #e tracks will remain throughout the country4 7#ag7 ,according to the ,state of ,florida1 track owners had been collectively losing more than #cj million annually because of sagging attendance and decreased wagering4 ,according to a ,state-commissioned report1 the ,state spent more money regulating the industry in its national hub than it generated in tax revenue4 7#ah7 ,as of ,december #ca1 #bjbb1 live commercial dog racing will be illegal in #da ,states4 ,this dying industry will remain legal and operational in no more than #d ,states4 7b7 ,policy ,it is the policy of the ,congress in this chapter to prohibit the use of wire communications for the purpose of gambling on live1 commercial greyhound racing and open field coursing events and to prohibit the transport of animals including but not limited to greyhounds1 rabbits1 and hares in interstate and foreign commerce in furtherance of these activities4 #c4 ,protection of greyhounds ,section #ajhd of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following new section3 7f7 ,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 racing1 live lure training or field coursing4 4 #d4 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this ,act1 or the amendments made by this ,act1 shall be construed-- 7#a7 to preempt any ,state law prohibiting gambling or protecting the welfare of animals including but not limited to greyhounds1 rabbits1 and hares2 or 7#b7 to alter1 limit1 or extend the relationship between the ,interstate ,horseracing ,act of #aigh 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #cjja et seq47 as it relates to horse racing and other ,federal laws in effect on the date of enactment of this ,act4 #e4 ,effective date ,the amendment made by section #c shall take effect on ,december #ca1 #bjbb4