Horse racing: veterinary medical records: racehorse fatalities: racehorse drug testing.

(1) Existing law prohibits a veterinarian licensed in this state from disclosing any information concerning an animal receiving veterinary services, the client responsible for the animal receiving veterinary services, or the veterinary care provided to an animal, except under any one of specified circumstances. Existing law subjects a veterinarian to specified criminal penalties for violating these provisions. This bill would add an exception to that prohibition for care or service for a horse that has participated in the previous year, or is intended to participate, in a licensed horse race. The bill would require, in these situations, that the veterinarian make the entire medical record for the horse available upon request to anyone responsible for the direct medical care of the horse, including the owner, trainer, or veterinarian, the California Horse Racing Board or any other state or local governmental entity, and the racing association or fair conducting the licensed horse race. Because this bill would add new circumstances requiring veterinarian disclosures, the violation of which would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The Horse Racing Law provides that the California Horse Racing Board has all powers necessary and proper to enable it to carry out fully and effectually the purposes of the Horse Racing Law, and requires that the board be responsible for, among other things, adopting rules and regulations for the protection of the public and the control of horse racing and parimutuel wagering, and the administration and enforcement of all laws, rules, and regulations affecting horse racing and parimutuel wagering. Existing regulations of the board require that, if a horse suffers a fatal injury on a racetrack in training or in competition, or dies or is euthanized within an area under the jurisdiction of the board, the horse undergo a postmortem examination at a diagnostic laboratory that is under contract with the board to determine the injury or sickness that resulted in euthanasia or natural death, as provided. This bill would require the board to publish, on a weekly basis on its internet website, all racehorse fatalities related to racing or training that occur within a licensed inclosure. (3) The Horse Racing Law requires that any blood or urine test sample that the California Horse Racing Board requires to be taken from a horse that is entered in any race be divided or taken in duplicate, if there is sufficient sample available after the initial test sample has been taken. That law provides that the initial test sample shall be referred to as the official test sample and the secondary sample shall be referred to as the split sample. That law also requires the executive director of the board to report to the board a finding of a prohibited drug substance in an official test sample within 24 hours of the confirmation of that prohibited drug substance in the split sample by the independent laboratory, or within 24 hours of waiver of split sample testing by the owner or trainer. That law also requires, except as specified, that the results of the tests be confidential until or unless the board files an official complaint. This bill would instead require that the results of the tests be kept confidential until or unless the independent laboratory confirms the finding of the prohibited substance in the split sample or waiver of the split sample testing is given by the owner or trainer. The bill would require the board to post on its internet website the results of all nonconfidential official test samples within 5 business days of the confirmation of the split sample or waiver of the split sample testing by the owner or trainer. (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.