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[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 812 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 812

 To establish the Congressional Advisory Commission on Amateur Boxing 
      and to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the 
         participation in and promotion of professional boxing.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 4, 1993

 Mr. Gonzalez submitted the following bill; which was referred jointly 
to the Committees on Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To establish the Congressional Advisory Commission on Amateur Boxing 
      and to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the 
         participation in and promotion of professional boxing.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

      TITLE I--CONGRESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AMATEUR BOXING

SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.

    This title may be cited as the ``Congressional Advisory Commission 
on Amateur Boxing Act of 1993''.

SEC. 102. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a Commission to be known as the Congressional 
Advisory Commission on Amateur Boxing (in this title referred to as the 
``Commission'').

SEC. 103. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of the Commission is to conduct studies and make 
legislative recommendations to the Congress based on the studies 
regarding the establishment of Federal standards for amateur boxing 
matches held in the United States.

SEC. 104. MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 
ten members as follows:
            (1) Health officials.--Two members, one appointed by the 
        Speaker of the House of Representatives and one appointed by 
        the majority leader of the Senate, from a list of six 
        individuals nominated for appointment jointly by the American 
        Medical Association and the Association of Ringside Physicians.
            (2) State athletic commissioner.--One member appointed by 
        the Speaker of the House of Representatives from among 
        individuals who are or have been employed as State athletic 
        commissioners.
            (3) Amateur boxing federation.--One member appointed by the 
        majority leader of the Senate from among individuals who are 
        members of the United States of America Amateur Boxing 
        Federation, Incorporated.
            (4) Media.--One member appointed by the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives from among individuals who are 
        employed in the media and are knowledgeable about boxing.
            (5) Amateur boxer.--One member appointed by the majority 
        leader of the Senate from among individuals with special 
        interests or experience in amateur boxing.
            (6) Professional boxers.--Four members, two appointed by 
        the Speaker of the House of Representatives and two appointed 
        by the majority leader of the Senate, from among individuals 
        with special interests or experience in professional boxing.
    (b) Chairman and Vice Chairman.--The Chairman of the Commission 
shall be designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The 
Vice Chairman of the Commission shall be designated by the majority 
leader of the Senate.
    (c) Basic Pay.--
            (1) Members.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), members 
        of the Commission shall each be paid at a rate not to exceed 
        the daily equivalent of the minimum annual rate of basic pay in 
        effect for grade GS-13 of the General Schedule for each day 
        (including travel time) during which they are engaged in the 
        actual performance of duties vested in the Commission.
            (2) Chairman and vice chairman.--The Chairman and the Vice 
        Chairman of the Commission shall be paid at a rate not to 
        exceed the daily equivalent of the minimum annual rate of basic 
        pay in effect for grades GS-15 and GS-14 of the General 
        Schedule, respectively, for each day (including travel time) 
        during which they are engaged in the actual performance of 
        duties vested in the Commission.
    (d) Organizational Meeting.--
            (1) Time and purpose.--Not later than thirty days after all 
        members have been appointed to the Commission, the Commission 
        shall hold an organizational meeting to establish the rules and 
        procedures necessary to carry out its responsibilities under 
        this title subject to paragraph (2).
            (2) Rules and procedures.--The rules and procedures shall 
        provide that--
                    (A) all Commission meetings shall be open to the 
                public;
                    (B) one-half of the total Commission membership 
                shall constitute a quorum; and
                    (C) a majority of members voting shall be required 
                to authorize any recommendation or other official 
                action of the Commission.

SEC. 105. ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS.

    (a) Appointment and Compensation of Staff.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to rules prescribed by the 
        Commission, the Chairman may appoint and fix the pay of staff 
        as the Chairman considers appropriate.
            (2) Applicability of certain civil service laws.--The staff 
        of the Commission shall be appointed subject to the provisions 
        of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the 
        competitive service, and shall be paid in accordance with the 
        provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of 
        such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay 
        rates.
    (b) Experts and Consultants.--Subject to rules prescribed by the 
Commission, the Chairman may procure temporary and intermittent 
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.
    (c) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the Commission, the 
head of any Federal agency is authorized to detail, on a reimbursable 
basis, any of the personnel of the agency to the Commission to assist 
the Commission in carrying out its duties under this title.
    (d) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as other Federal agencies.
    (e) Administrative Support Services.--The Administrator of General 
Services shall provide to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, 
administrative support services requested by the Commission.

SEC. 106. INVESTIGATIVE POWERS.

    (a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for the purpose of 
carrying out this title, hold such hearings, sit and act at such times 
and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence, as the 
Commission considers appropriate.
    (b) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly 
from any Federal agency information necessary to enable it to carry out 
this title. Upon request of the Chairman of the Commission, the head of 
the agency shall furnish the information to the Commission.
    (c) Subpoena Power.--
            (1) Issuance.--The Commission may issue subpoenas requiring 
        the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of 
        any evidence that relates to any matter under investigation by 
        the Commission. The attendance of witnesses and the production 
        of evidence may be required from any place within a judicial 
        district at any designated place of hearing within the judicial 
        district.
            (2) Enforcement.--If a person issued a subpoena under 
        paragraph (1) refuses to obey the subpoena or is guilty of 
        contumacy, any court of the United States within the judicial 
        district within which the hearing is conducted or within the 
        judicial district within which the person is found or resides 
        or transacts business may (upon application by the Commission) 
        order the person to appear before the Commission to produce 
        evidence or to give testimony relating to the matter under 
        investigation. Any failure to obey the order of the court may 
        be punished by the court as a contempt of the court.
            (3) Manner of service.--A subpoena of the Commission shall 
        be served in the manner provided for subpoenas issued by a 
        United States district court under the Federal Rules of Civil 
        Procedure for the United States district courts.
            (4) Place of service.--All process of any court to which 
        application may be made under this section may be served in the 
        judicial district in which the person required to be served 
        resides or may be found.

SEC. 107. REPORT.

    Not later than nine months after the organizational meeting of the 
Commission is held under section 104(d), the Commission shall submit to 
the Congress a report that contains a detailed statement of the 
findings and conclusions of the Commission, together with its 
recommendations for legislation it considers appropriate with respect 
to the following:
            (1) Licensing requirements.--Licensing requirements, 
        including proficiency standards and evaluation for boxers, 
        promoters, referees, judges, ringside physicians, timekeepers, 
        and all other ring officials.
            (2) Health and medical requirements.--Health and medical 
        requirements, including provision for prefight testing and 
        examination of referees by physicians and for prefight and 
        postfight testing and examination of boxers by physicians 
        specializing in cardiological, neurological, and 
        ophthalmological treatment.
            (3) Safety and performance standards.--Safety requirements 
        and performance standards for equipment and facilities used in 
        boxing matches.
            (4) Bonding requirements.--Requirements for bonding of 
        promoters of boxing matches.
            (5) Insurance requirements.--Health, life, and accident 
        insurance requirements for boxers.
            (6) Training programs.--Training programs and standards for 
        referees, judges, and other appropriate ring officials.
            (7) Classification and ranking guidelines.--Guidelines and 
        standards governing the classification and ranking of boxers 
        and the establishment of a national authority to maintain an 
        accurate and current account of the classifications and 
        rankings.
            (8) National data base.--Establishment of a national data 
        base of information on the health and medical condition, 
        background, and ring record of boxers.
            (9) Reporting requirements.--Requirements governing the 
        reporting of information needed to fulfill the requirements of 
        paragraphs (7) and (8).
            (10) Fines and penalties.--Fines and penalties for 
        violations of the national standards established under Federal 
        law.

SEC. 108. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall cease to exist sixty days after submitting its 
report pursuant to section 107.

SEC. 109. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 to carry out this 
title.

              TITLE II--PROHIBITION OF PROFESSIONAL BOXING

SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.

    This title may be cited as the ``Federal Professional Boxing 
Prohibition Act of 1993''.

SEC. 202. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) although many sports may have higher death and injury 
        rates, the injuries are coincidental to the purpose of the 
        sport; the object of professional boxing is to inflict pain and 
        physical damage to the extent of rendering the opponent 
        senseless, defenseless, and unconscious;
            (2) head blows and knockouts, which eventually result in 
        brain damage, are the most prevalent and direct means for a 
        professional boxer to attain victory;
            (3) existing medical and safety controls are inadequate to 
        prevent chronic brain damage in professional boxers;
            (4) the longer the boxing career of an individual, the 
        greater the likelihood of brain damage to the individual; and
            (5) cumulative brain damage in professional boxers is not 
        usually identified until its later stages, when it is generally 
        considered irreversible.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this title is to make unlawful the 
participation in or promotion of professional boxing in order to save 
lives, protect the health of prospective professional boxers, and 
prevent exploitation of prospective participants in professional 
boxing.

SEC. 203. PROHIBITION OF PARTICIPATION IN OR PROMOTION OF PROFESSIONAL 
              BOXING.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 89 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 1821 the following new section:
``Sec. 1822. Participation in or promotion of professional boxing
    ``(a) Offense.--Whoever participates in a professional boxing match 
in any capacity (including participation as a coach, fighter, judge, 
physician, referee, or timekeeper) or promotes a professional boxing 
match--
            ``(1) shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned 
        for not more than one year, or both; and
            ``(2) shall be required to forfeit any financial gain 
        realized or to be realized as a direct result of the 
        professional boxing match.
    ``(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Boxing.--The term `boxing' means the sport of 
        fighting with fists (with or without boxing gloves).
            ``(2) Professional boxing match.--The term `professional 
        boxing match' means a boxing match for which any financial gain 
        (including any salary, gift, prize, or paid expenses) is 
        received for participation in the boxing match. The term does 
        not include an amateur boxing match.
            ``(3) Promotes.--The term `promotes' means initiates, 
        directs, aids, or participates in organizing or financially 
        supporting.
    ``(c) Nonapplicability of Standard Fines.--Section 3571 shall not 
apply to an offense under this section.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning 
of chapter 89 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 1821 the following:

``1822. Participation in or promotion of professional boxing.''.

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