With a view to pulling the veil back on the whys and wherefores of their operations, a representative of either the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority or the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) will every week answer a question of industry importance posed by the TDN.If you have any questions you'd like to ask HISA or HIWU, please feel free to send them over to us at the following email address: danross@thetdn.comThe following question was submitted by owner John Kosciak.Q: As an owner I would like to know where do the fees I pay go besides the salaries of HISA members? Furthermore, what are the monies collected as fines (all fines including medication violations and crop violations) used for? And lastly, how much has been collected in fees and fines since HISA started?Answer by HISA CFO, Jim Gates:HISA is funded primarily through fees paid by owners, racetracks and State Racing Commissions. Those funds support the Racetrack Safety Program and Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program.This includes drug testing and laboratory analysis; investigations and enforcement; technology and data systems; research; education and outreach; accreditation; and the day-to-day administration of the programs. HISA also uses data and research to identify risks associated with injuries or fatalities, including collecting and analyzing medical, veterinary and racing data; monitoring racetracks throughout the season; and collecting racetrack surfaces data.HISA also funds programs and services that directly support participants, including jockey mental health and wellness resources, nutrition counseling and concussion education and protocols. In addition, these funds support the development and maintenance of systems such as the HISA Portal, a comprehensive data archive of equine treatment records reported by racing participants; risk-assessment tools such as HISA CHECK?, which assesses whether horses may be at increased risk of injury by analyzing treatment information, historical performance data and other risk factors; and HISA Horse In-Sight, which provides a holistic view of a horse's health and performance throughout its racing career. Funding also supports ongoing research into equine health, safety and welfare.By law, all money collected through fines must also be used to fund HISA's work. That means fine revenue helps offset the overall cost of the programs for the industry.Since HISA began operations in 2022 through July 15, 2026, $160,015,567 has been collected in assessments and $2,097,850 has been collected in fines. These fines were issued only after a violation was either admitted by the responsible party or confirmed through the adjudication process.The post Ask HISA: How Are HISA’s Fees Used? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.