Calendar No. 666

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1991

A BILL

To provide for the safety of journeymen boxers, and

for other purposes.

SEPTEMBER 28 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 12), 1994

Reported with an amendment
II

★(Star Print)

Calendar No. 666

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1991

To provide for the safety of journeymen boxers, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 25 (legislative day, FEBRUARY 22), 1994

Mr. MCCAIN (for himself and Mr. BRYAN) introduced the following bill; which

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and

Transportation

SEPTEMBER 28 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 12), 1994

Reported by Mr. HOLLINGS, with an amendment

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]

A BILL

To provide for the safety of journeymen boxers, and for

other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Professional Boxing

5 Safety Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

7 For purposes of this Act—
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1 (1) the term ‘‘boxer’’ means a person who par2 ticipates in a professional boxing match;

3 (2) the term ‘‘manager’’ means a person or

4 business who helps arrange professional boxing

5 matches for a boxer, and who serves as an advisor

6 or representative of a boxer in a professional capac7 ity;

8 (3) the term ‘‘professional boxing match’’

9 means a boxing contest held in the United States be10 tween individuals for compensation or a prize, and

11 does not include any amateur boxing match;

12 (4) the term ‘‘promoter’’ means a person or

13 business that organizes, holds, advertises, or other14 wise conducts a professional boxing match; and

15 (5) the term ‘‘State boxing commission’’ means

16 a State agency with authority to regulate profes17 sional boxing;

18 SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

19 The purposes of this Act are—

20 (1) to improve and expand the system of safety

21 precautions that protects the welfare of professional

22 boxers; and

23 (2) to assist State boxing commissions to pro24 vide proper oversight for the professional boxing in25 dustry in the United States.
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1 SEC. 4. PROFESSIONAL BOXING MATCHES.

2 A professional boxing match may be held in the

3 United States only if—

4 (1) the State where the professional boxing

5 match is to be held—

6 (A) has a State boxing commission ; or

7 (B) has entered into an agreement with a

8 State boxing commission of another State;

9 to oversee the match and to regulate each of its box10 ing matches; and

11 (2) the State boxing commission has established

12 procedures to carry out sections 5, 6, and 7.

13 SEC. 5. REGISTRATION.

14 (a) REQUIREMENT.—Each professional boxer shall

15 register with—

16 (1) the State boxing commission of the State in

17 which such boxer resides;

18 (2) in the case of a boxer who is a resident of

19 a State in which there is no State boxing commis20 sion, the State boxing commission described in sec21 tion 4(1)(B); or

22 (3) in the case of a boxer from a foreign coun23 try, any State that has a State boxing commission.

24 (b) IDENTIFICATION CARD.—

25 (1) ISSUANCE.—A State boxing commission

26 shall issue to each professional boxer who registers
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1 in accordance with subsection (a), an identification

2 card that contains—

3 (A) a recent photograph of the boxer;

4 (B) the social security number of the boxer

5 (or, in the case of a foreign boxer, any similar

6 citizen identification number or professional

7 boxer number from the country of residence of

8 the boxer); and

9 (C) the personal identification numbers as10 signed to the boxer by the boxing registries cer11 tified by the Association of Boxing Commis12 sioners.

13 (2) RENEWAL.—Each professional boxer shall

14 renew his or her identification card at least once

15 every 3 years.

16 (3) PRESENTATION.—Each professional boxer

17 shall present his or her identification card to the

18 State boxing commission not later than the time of

19 the weigh-in for a professional boxing match.

20 (c) RELATION TO STATE LAW.—Nothing in this sec21 tion shall be construed as preventing a State from apply22 ing additional registration requirements.

23 SEC. 6. REVIEW.

24 Each State boxing commission shall establish proce25 dures—
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1 (1) to evaluate the professional records of each

2 boxer participating in a boxing match in the State;

3 and

4 (2) to ensure that no boxer is permitted to box

5 while under suspension from any State boxing com6 mission for any reason, including—

7 (A) a recent knockout, injury, or

8 unfulfilled requirement for a medical procedure;

9 (B) administrative reasons, such as failure

10 to pay a State fee or fine, or improper conduct;

11 (C) falsification of, or attempts to falsify,

12 official identification cards or documents;

13 (D) failure of a drug test;

14 (E) inadequate boxing skills, or the inabil15 ity to safely compete; and

16 (F) violation of Federal or State gaming

17 laws.

18 SEC. 7. REPORTING.

19 (a) BOXING MATCH RESULTS.—Not later than 48

20 business hours (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) after

21 the conclusion of a professional boxing match, the results

22 of such match shall be reported to the professional boxing

23 registries certified by the Association of Boxing Commis24 sioners (ABC) and to the Florida State Athletic Commis25 sion.
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1 (b) SUSPENSIONS.—Not later than 48 business hours

2 (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) after a State boxing

3 commission orders the suspension of a boxer, promoter,

4 or manager, such suspension shall be reported to the pro5 fessional boxing registries certified by the Association of

6 Boxing Commissioners (ABC) and to the Florida State

7 Athletic Commission.

8 SEC. 8. ENFORCEMENT.

9 (a) INJUNCTIONS.—Whenever the United States At10 torney in a State has reasonable cause to believe that a

11 person or entity is engaged in a violation of this Act in

12 such State, the United States Attorney may bring a civil

13 action in the appropriate district court of the United

14 States requesting such relief, including a permanent or

15 temporary injunction, restraining order, or other order,

16 against the person or entity, as the United States Attor17 ney determines necessary to restrain the person or entity

18 from continuing to engage in, or to sanction, a profes19 sional boxing match in violation of this Act.

20 (b) CRIMINAL PENALTIES.—

21 (1) MANAGERS AND PROMOTERS.—Any man22 ager or promoter who knowingly and willfully vio23 lates any provision of this Act shall be imprisoned

24 for not more than 1 year or fined more than

25 $20,000, or both.
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1 (2) BOXERS.—Any professional boxer who

2 knowingly and willfully violates any provision of this

3 Act shall be fined not more than $1,000.

4 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

5 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Professional Boxing

6 Safety Act’’.

7 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

8 For purposes of this Act—

9 (1) the term ‘‘boxer’’ means a person who par10 ticipates in a professional boxing match;

11 (2) the term ‘‘licensee’’ means an individual who

12 serves as a trainer, second, or cut man for a profes13 sional boxer;

14 (3) the term ‘‘manager’’ means a person or busi15 ness who helps arrange professional boxing matches

16 for a boxer, and who serves as an advisor or rep17 resentative of a boxer in a professional capacity;

18 (4) the term ‘‘matchmaker’’ means a person or

19 business that proposes, selects, and arranges the box20 ers to participate in a professional boxing event;

21 (5) the term ‘‘professional boxing match’’ means

22 a boxing contest held in the United States between in23 dividuals for compensation or a prize, and does not

24 include any amateur boxing match;
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1 (6) the term ‘‘promoter’’ means a person or busi2 ness that organizes, holds, advertises, or otherwise

3 conducts a professional boxing match; and

4 (7) the term ‘‘State boxing commission’’ means

5 a State agency with authority to regulate professional

6 boxing.

7 SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

8 The purposes of this Act are—

9 (1) to improve and expand the system of safety

10 precautions that protects the welfare of professional

11 boxers; and

12 (2) to assist State boxing commissions to provide

13 proper oversight for the professional boxing industry

14 in the United States.

15 SEC. 4. PROFESSIONAL BOXING MATCHES.

16 A professional boxing match may be held in the United

17 States only if—

18 (1)(A) the State where the professional boxing

19 match is to be held has a State boxing commission;

20 or

21 (B) the promoter who seeks to put on a boxing

22 event in a State that does not have a boxing commis23 sion has entered into an agreement with the chief ad24 ministrative officer of a State that has a boxing com25 mission to oversee the match; and
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1 (2) the State boxing commission has established

2 procedures to carry out sections 5, 6, and 7.

3 SEC. 5. REGISTRATION.

4 (a) REQUIREMENT.—Each professional boxer shall reg5 ister with—

6 (1) the State boxing commission of the State in

7 which such boxer resides; or

8 (2) in the case of a boxer who is a resident of

9 a foreign country, or a State in which there is no

10 State boxing commission, the State boxing commis11 sion of any State that has such a commission.

12 (b) IDENTIFICATION CARD.—

13 (1) ISSUANCE.—A State boxing commission shall

14 issue to each professional boxer who registers in ac15 cordance with subsection (a), an identification card

16 that contains—

17 (A) a recent photograph of the boxer;

18 (B) the social security number of the boxer

19 (or, in the case of a foreign boxer, any similar

20 citizen identification number or professional

21 boxer number from the country of residence of

22 the boxer); and

23 (C) the personal identification numbers as24 signed to the boxer by the boxing registries cer-
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1 tified by the Association of Boxing Commis2 sioners.

3 (2) RENEWAL.—Each professional boxer shall

4 renew his or her identification card at least once

5 every 3 years.

6 (3) PRESENTATION.—Each professional boxer

7 shall present his or her identification card to the

8 State boxing commission not later than the time of

9 the weigh-in for a professional boxing match.

10 (c) RELATION TO STATE LAW.—Nothing in this sec11 tion shall be construed as preventing a State from applying

12 additional registration requirements.

13 SEC. 6. REVIEW.

14 Each State boxing commission shall establish proce15 dures—

16 (1) to evaluate the professional records of each

17 boxer participating in a boxing match in the State;

18 (2) to ensure that no boxer is permitted to box

19 while under suspension from any State boxing com20 mission due to injury or other medical-related reason,

21 including—

22 (A) a recent knockout, injury, or require23 ment for a medical procedure;

24 (B) failure of a drug test;
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1 (C) poor boxing skills, or the inability to

2 safely compete; and

3 (D) the use of false aliases, or falsifying, or

4 attempts to falsify, official identification cards

5 or documents; and

6 (3) to ensure that if such commission is consider7 ing permitting a boxer, promoter, manager, or other

8 licensee to participate in a boxing event while the in9 dividual is under suspension from any State for rea10 sons other than the reasons listed in paragraph (2),

11 such commission shall notify and consult with the

12 chief administrative officer of the State that ordered

13 the suspension prior to the grant of approval for such

14 individual to participate in such boxing event.

15 SEC. 7. REPORTING.

16 (a) BOXING MATCH RESULTS.—Not later than 48

17 business hours (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) after

18 the conclusion of a professional boxing match, the results

19 of such match shall be reported to the professional boxing

20 registries certified by the Association of Boxing Commis21 sions (ABC) and to the Florida State Athletic Commission.

22 (b) SUSPENSIONS.—Not later than 48 business hours

23 (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) after a State boxing

24 commission orders the suspension of a boxer, promoter, or

25 manager, such suspension shall be reported to the profes-
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1 sional boxing registries certified by the Association of Box2 ing Commissions (ABC) and to the Florida State Athletic

3 Commission.

4 (c) ALTERNATE REPORTING ENTITY.—If the State of

5 Florida ceases, for any reason, to publish and circulate a

6 national suspension list at no cost to other States on a fre7 quent basis, the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC)

8 shall select a different public or private entity to volun9 tarily undertake to compile and circulate a suspension list

10 to all State commissions at no cost.

11 SEC. 8. ENFORCEMENT.

12 (a) INJUNCTIONS.—Whenever the United States Attor13 ney in a State has reasonable cause to believe that a person

14 or entity is engaged in a violation of this Act in such State,

15 the United States Attorney may bring a civil action in the

16 appropriate district court of the United States requesting

17 such relief, including a permanent or temporary injunction,

18 restraining order, or other order, against the person or en19 tity, as the United States Attorney determines necessary to

20 restrain the person or entity from continuing to engage in,

21 or to sanction, a professional boxing match in violation of

22 this Act.

23 (b) CRIMINAL PENALTIES.—

24 (1) MANAGERS, PROMOTERS, MATCHMAKERS,

25 AND LICENSEES.—Each manager, promoter, match-
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1 maker, and licensee who knowingly and willfully vio2 lates any provision of this Act shall be imprisoned for

3 not more than 1 year or fined more than $20,000, or

4 both.

5 (2) BOXERS.—Any professional boxer who know6 ingly and willfully violates any provision of this Act

7 shall be fined not more than $1,000.

8 SEC. 9. STUDY.

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Labor shall con10 duct a study on the feasibility and cost of a national pen11 sion system for professional boxers, including potential

12 funding sources.

13 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date

14 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall submit

15 a report to the Congress on the findings of the study con16 ducted pursuant to subsection (a).