[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1186 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1186

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 9, 1995

  Mr. Oxley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities, and in addition to 
 the Committee on Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


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

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Professional Boxing Safety Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``boxer'' means a person who participates in a 
        professional boxing match;
            (2) the term ``licensee'' means an individual who serves as 
        a trainer, second, or cut man for a professional boxer;
            (3) the term ``manager'' means a person or business who 
        helps arrange professional boxing matches for a boxer, and who 
        serves as an advisor or representative of a boxer in a 
        professional capacity;
            (4) the term ``matchmaker'' means a person or business that 
        proposes, selects, and arranges the boxers to participate in a 
        professional boxing event;
            (5) the term ``professional boxing match'' means a boxing 
        contest held in the United States between individuals for 
        compensation or a prize, and does not include any amateur 
        boxing match;
            (6) the term ``promoter'' means a person or business that 
        organizes, holds, advertises, or otherwise conducts a 
        professional boxing match; and
            (7) the term ``State boxing commission'' means a State 
        agency with authority to regulate professional boxing.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    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 provide proper 
        oversight for the professional boxing industry in the United 
        States.

SEC. 4. PROFESSIONAL BOXING MATCHES.

    A professional boxing match may be held in the United States only 
if--
            (1)(A) the State where the professional boxing match is to 
        be held has a State boxing commission; or
            (B) the promoter who seeks to put on a boxing event in a 
        State that does not have a boxing commission has entered into 
        an agreement with the chief administrative officer of a State 
        that has a boxing commission to oversee the match; and
            (2) the State boxing commission has established procedures 
        to carry out sections 5, 6, and 7.

SEC. 5. REGISTRATION.

    (a) Requirement.--Each professional boxer shall register with--
            (1) the State boxing commission of the State in which such 
        boxer resides; or
            (2) in the case of a boxer who is a resident of a foreign 
        country, or a State in which there is no State boxing 
        commission, the State boxing commission of any State that has 
        such a commission.
    (b) Identification Card.--
            (1) Issuance.--A State boxing commission shall issue to 
        each professional boxer who registers in accordance with 
        subsection (a), an identification card that contains--
                    (A) a recent photograph of the boxer;
                    (B) the social security number of the boxer (or, in 
                the case of a foreign boxer, any similar citizen 
                identification number or professional boxer number from 
                the country of residence of the boxer); and
                    (C) the personal identification numbers assigned to 
                the boxer by the boxing registries certified by the 
                Association of Boxing Commissioners.
            (2) Renewal.--Each professional boxer shall renew his or 
        her identification card at least once every 3 years.
            (3) Presentation.--Each professional boxer shall present 
        his or her identification card to the State boxing commission 
        not later than the time of the weigh-in for a professional 
        boxing match.
    (c) Relation to State Law.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as preventing a State from applying additional registration 
requirements.

SEC. 6. REVIEW.

    Each State boxing commission shall establish procedures--
            (1) to evaluate the professional records of each boxer 
        participating in a boxing match in the State;
            (2) to ensure that no boxer is permitted to box while under 
        suspension from any State boxing commission due to injury or 
        other medical-related reason, including--
                    (A) a recent knockout, injury, or requirement for a 
                medical procedure;
                    (B) failure of a drug test;
                    (C) poor boxing skills, or the inability to safely 
                compete; and
                    (D) the use of false aliases, or falsifying, or 
                attempts to falsify, official identification cards or 
                documents; and
            (3) to ensure that if such commission is considering 
        permitting a boxer, promoter, manager, or other licensee to 
        participate in a boxing event while the individual is under 
        suspension from any State for reasons other than the reasons 
        listed in paragraph (2), such commission shall notify and 
        consult with the chief administrative officer of the State that 
        ordered the suspension prior to the grant of approval for such 
        individual to participate in such boxing event.

SEC. 7. REPORTING.

    (a) Boxing Match Results.--Not later than 48 business hours 
(excluding Saturdays and Sundays) after the conclusion of a 
professional boxing match, the results of such match shall be reported 
to the professional boxing registries certified by the Association of 
Boxing Commissions (ABC) and to the Florida State Athletic Commission.
    (b) Suspensions.--Not later than 48 business hours (excluding 
Saturdays and Sundays) after a State boxing commission orders the 
suspension of a boxer, promoter, or manager, such suspension shall be 
reported to the professional boxing registries certified by the 
Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) and to the Florida State 
Athletic Commission.
    (c) Alternate Reporting Entity.--If the State of Florida ceases, 
for any reason, to publish and circulate a national suspension list at 
no cost to other States on a frequent basis, the Association of Boxing 
Commissions (ABC) shall select a different public or private entity to 
voluntarily undertake to compile and circulate a suspension list to all 
State commissions at no cost.

SEC. 8. ENFORCEMENT.

    (a) Injunctions.--Whenever the United States Attorney in a State 
has reasonable cause to believe that a person or entity is engaged in a 
violation of this Act in such State, the United States Attorney may 
bring a civil action in the appropriate district court of the United 
States requesting such relief, including a permanent or temporary 
injunction, restraining order, or other order, against the person or 
entity, as the United States Attorney determines necessary to restrain 
the person or entity from continuing to engage in, or to sanction, a 
professional boxing match in violation of this Act.
    (b) Criminal Penalties.--
            (1) Managers, promoters, matchmakers, and licensees.--Each 
        manager, promoter, matchmaker, and licensee who knowingly and 
        willfully violates any provision of this Act shall be 
        imprisoned for not more than 1 year or fined more than $20,000, 
        or both.
            (2) Boxers.--Any professional boxer who knowingly and 
        willfully violates any provision of this Act shall be fined not 
        more than $1,000.

SEC. 9. STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Labor shall conduct a study on 
the feasibility and cost of a national pension system for professional 
boxers, including potential funding sources.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall submit a report to the Congress 
on the findings of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (a).
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