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Washington Horse Racing Commission declines to pick up 2026 HISA assessment, cites tight budget
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Summary
At a special meeting March 27, the Washington Horse Racing Commission voted to decline paying the 2026 Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) assessment, saying the legislature’s $288,000 appropriation and projected revenues leave insufficient funds; commissioners will notify HISA and pursue grants or other offsets for tracks and horsemen.
The Washington Horse Racing Commission voted March 27 to decline paying the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) assessment for 2026, citing limited appropriations and revenue shortfalls.
"In my opinion, based on this, we cannot pay the HISA fees in full," Executive Secretary Amanda Benton told commissioners as she reviewed the agency’s fiscal projections and credits offered to Emerald Downs. Benton said the commission received a $288,000 general‑fund appropriation in ESSB 5998 (Section 717) for fiscal 2027 but had requested $600,000 to stabilize operations.
Benton presented the fee math: the original Washington assessment was $1,302,706; itemized credits included $213,437 for post‑race testing, $32,265 for TCO2 testing and $42,004 for out‑of‑competition testing, trimming the figure to roughly $1,015,000. Additional credits offered to Emerald Downs could reduce the assessment to about $479,000, and the track has a previously awarded $200,000 grant applied toward the fees, leaving roughly $279,000 outstanding.
Benton said the agency currently has $50,000 set aside in projections for HISA‑related grants and that, given current revenue trends, the commission could likely add about $100,000 in assistance while still projecting an end‑of‑biennium fund balance of $393,699 and a September 2027 balance near $190,000 if typical meet‑year declines occur.
Commissioners discussed options to cover operations and future HISA impacts, including adjusting the source‑market fee. The presiding officer moved that the commission "decline the pay of assessment for 2026." A second was made; commissioners on the call voiced their assent and the motion carried. The transcript does not record individual roll‑call vote tallies.
Commissioners emphasized they want to limit burdens on horsemen, noting that the funding gap could otherwise translate to an additional $40–$50 per start for participants. They directed staff to notify HISA that the commission will not pick up the 2026 assessment and to begin immediately coordinating with Emerald Downs on grant requests, credit reconciliation and other assistance options.
The meeting adjourned at 09:47.
