104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4167
AN ACT
To provide for the safety of journeymen boxers, and
for other purposes.
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4167
AN ACT
To provide for the safety of journeymen boxers, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Professional Boxing
Safety Act of 1996’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) BOXER.—The term ‘‘boxer’’ means an indi-
vidual who fights in a professional boxing match.
(2) BOXING COMMISSION.—(A) The term ‘‘box-
ing commission’’ means an entity authorized under
State law to regulate professional boxing matches.
(3) BOXER REGISTRY.—The term ‘‘boxer reg-
istry’’ means any entity certified by the Association
of Boxing Commissions for the purposes of main-
taining records and identification of boxers.
(4) LICENSEE.—The term ‘‘licensee’’ means an
individual who serves as a trainer, second, or cut
man for a boxer.
(5) MANAGER.—The term ‘‘manager’’ means a
person who receives compensation for service as an
agent or representative of a boxer.
(6) MATCHMAKER.—The term ‘‘matchmaker’’
means a person that proposes, selects, and arranges
the boxers to participate in a professional boxing
match.
(7) PHYSICIAN.—The term ‘‘physician’’ means
a doctor of medicine legally authorized to practice
medicine by the State in which the physician per-
forms such function or action.
(8) PROFESSIONAL BOXING MATCH.—The term
‘‘professional boxing match’’ means a boxing contest
held in the United States between individuals for fi-
nancial compensation. Such term does not include a
boxing contest that is regulated by an amateur
sports organization.
(9) PROMOTER.—The term ‘‘promoter’’ means
the person primarily responsible for organizing, pro-
moting, and producing a professional boxing match.
(10) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of
the 50 States, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia,
and any territory or possession of the United States.
SEC. 3. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to improve and expand the system of safety
precautions that protects the welfare of professional
boxers; and
(2) to assist State boxing commissions to pro-
vide proper oversight for the professional boxing in-
dustry in the United States.
SEC. 4. BOXING MATCHES IN STATES WITHOUT BOXING
COMMISSIONS.
No person may arrange, promote, organize, produce,
or fight in a professional boxing match held in a State
that does not have a boxing commission unless the match
is supervised by a boxing commission from another State
and subject to the most recent version of the recommended
regulatory guidelines certified and published by the Asso-
ciation of Boxing Commissions as well as any additional
relevant professional boxing regulations and requirements
of such other State.
SEC. 5. SAFETY STANDARDS.
No person may arrange, promote, organize, produce,
or fight in a professional boxing match without meeting
each of the following requirements or an alternative re-
quirement in effect under regulations of a boxing commis-
sion that provides equivalent protection of the health and
safety of boxers:
(1) A physical examination of each boxer by a
physician certifying whether or not the boxer is
physically fit to safely compete, copies of which must
be provided to the boxing commission.
(2) Except as otherwise expressly provided
under regulation of a boxing commission promul-
gated subsequent to the enactment of this Act, an
ambulance or medical personnel with appropriate re-
suscitation equipment continuously present on site.
(3) A physician continuously present at ring-
side.
(3) For any individual listed under paragraph
(2), the identity of the boxing commission that is-
sued the suspension described in paragraph (2)(A).
SEC. 12. STUDIES.
(a) PENSION.—The Secretary of Labor shall conduct
a study on the feasibility and cost of a national pension
system for boxers, including potential funding sources.
(b) HEALTH, SAFETY AND EQUIPMENT.—The Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services shall conduct a
study to develop recommendations for health, safety, and
equipment standards for boxers and for professional box-
ing matches.
(c) REPORTS.—Not later than one year after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall sub-
mit a report to the Congress on the findings of the study
conducted pursuant to subsection (a). Not later than 180
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of Health and Human Services shall submit a report to
the Congress on the findings of the study conducted pur-
suant to subsection (b).
SEC. 13. PROFESSIONAL BOXING MATCHES CONDUCTED ON
INDIAN RESERVATIONS.
(a) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section, the
following definitions shall apply: