b' Working with other racing industry organizations, secured a change2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTSin the new IRS Winnings rule, which changed federal withholding Achieved passage of the National Forest Service Trail Stewardship and reporting requirements for pari-mutuel winnings.The newAct (H.R. 845/ S.1110). This law directs the Forest Service to take rule arises from a notice of proposed rulemaking issued in lateseveral actions to address the current trail maintenance backlog 2016, on which the equine industry submitted comments, layingthat is adversely impacting all trail users on many national forests, the groundwork for the new regulatory flexibility.The tax rulesincluding equestrians. will effectively exempt large numbers of winnings from the federal definition for amount of wager.The new threshold effectively Specifically, the new law will create a new national strategy to exempts a large number of bets from triggering the imposition of asignificantly increase the role of volunteers and partners in trail 20 percent withholding on winnings, thereby reflecting a consumermaintenance and a new priority trail maintenance program. The trend toward exotic wagering pools in modern betting.law will also create a program to allow outfitters and guides toCollaborated with other members of the livestock industry totreat their national forest trail maintenance activities as an in-kind address the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Mandate to requestdonation to offset fees owed to the federal government.that the Department of Transportation (DOT) grant a one-year Submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) enforcement delay followed by a waiver and limited exemptionsAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) requesting from compliance with the December 18, 2017 implementation dateimportant improvements and clarifications to proposed regulations for the Final Rule on Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) and Hours ofgoverning enforcement of the Horse Protection Act (HPA). Service (HOS). The AHC also published two handouts to clarify both The AHCs comments strongly urged USDA to explicitly limit all the ELD and Commercial Drivers License (CDL) requirements. new provisions to Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses, andContinued to advocate for H2-B Visa cap relief by encouraging capSpotted Saddle Horses, mirroring the widely supportedPrevent relief in the FY2018 Appropriations bill, as well as the StrengthenAll Soring Tactics Act or PAST Act. The AHC believes making this Employment and Seasonal Opportunities (SEASON) Act (H.R. 2004)change will address most concerns the horse industry has with the and the Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act of 2017 proposed rule and will still achieve the goal of ending soring.(S. 792).Since 2014, the Time to Ride Challenge has introduced over 90,000Worked with members of Congress on the Recreation Not Red- new enthusiasts to horses through 1,500 host stables across the Tape Act (RNR) (S. 1633, H.R. 3400), legislation that expands thecountry. These newcomers are the industrys next riders, owners, scope of the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act (PLcompetitors, clients, customers, and members.114-245), signed into law in late 2016.While the RNR focuses In 2016 Time to Ride also launched new collaborative programs on streamlined permitting to access public lands, the bill includesincluding the Pledge to Take a Friend Riding, and Collegiate provisions that would authorize the Department of the Interior,Challenges held at Colorado State University and Texas A&M through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to enter intoUniversity. cooperative agreements with private parties to promote the role of Continued to advance the Equine Disease Communication Center volunteers in trail maintenance.(EDCC). Advocating for an amendment within the FY2018 Department of 2016 Numbers to date:Defense Appropriations Bill that would fund equine therapy for239 Alerts posted since January 1, 2016veterans Introduction of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act in the251 Outbreaks reported since January 1, 2016House by Representatives Ted Yoho (R-FL) and Kurt Schrader EDCC Totals:(D-OR). The bill is intended to strengthen the Horse Protection Act-344 Alerts posted since April 2015(HPA) and prevent the soring of Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking-485 Outbreaks reported since April 2015Horses, and Spotted Saddle Horses. The bill currently has more-2,142 subscriptions to the EDCC email alert listthan 275 sponsors in the House.Continued to gain support for the AHC Welfare Code of Practice.Promoting the Animal Disease and Disaster Prevention ProgramThe code of practice is a broad set of principles designed to within the context of the 2018 Farm Bill. establish good welfare procedures for organizations to follow toPromoting the Foot and Mouth Disease Prevention Program withinPut the Horse First, and has been endorsed by 54 national horse the 2018 Farm Bill.organizations. In 2017, the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) sent out2015 ACCOMPLISHMENTS315 alerts reporting on 404 total outbreaks/cases. Overall totals for the EDCC:Secured a two year extension of 3-year-depreciation for all race -694 alerts posted since April 2015 horses retroactive to January 1, 2015 through 2016. From 2009 -897 outbreaks reported since April 2015 through 2014, race horses could be depreciated over three years, -3,447 addresses on the EDCC email alert subscription list regardless of when they were placed in service. That change, -4,590 following on Facebook which eliminated the 7-year depreciation period for race horses andTime to Ride hit a major milestone by successfully introducing overmade all race horses eligible for three-year depreciation, expired at 120,000 new horse enthusiasts to the equine industry through overthe end of 2014. 1,500 hosts throughout the country. Helped achieve a permanent extension of the Section 179 business deduction to $500,000. It had reverted to $25,000 at the end of 2014. Anyone in the horse business can now immediately depreciate up to $500,000 of the cost of any investment in business assets, including horses, purchased and placed in service after January 1, 2015. The deduction is reduced dollar-for-dollar once investment in all ones business activities hit $2 million. AHC ACCOMPLISHMENTS112020 HORSE INDUSTRY DIRECTORY'