[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 72 (Wednesday, June 5, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5032-S5033]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               PROFESSIONAL BOXING AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2002

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, on May 22, I was joined by my colleague, 
Senator Dorgan, in introducing the Professional Boxing Amendments Act 
of 2002. This legislation would strengthen existing Federal boxing laws 
by making uniform certain health and safety standards, establish a 
centralized medical registry to be used by local commissions to protect 
boxers, reduce arbitrary practices of sanctioning organizations, and 
provide uniformity in ranking criteria and contractual guidelines. This 
legislation would also establish a Federal regulatory entity to oversee 
professional boxing and set uniform standards for certain aspects of 
the sport.
  Since 1996, Congress has acted to improve the sport of boxing by 
passing two laws, the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996, and the 
Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000. These laws were intended to 
establish uniform standards to improve the health and safety of boxers, 
and to better protect them from the sometimes coercive, exploitative, 
and unethical business practices of promoters, managers, and 
sanctioning organizations.
  While the Professional Boxing Safety Act, as amended by the Muhammad 
Ali Act, has had some positive effects on the sport, I am concerned by 
the repeated failure of some State and tribal boxing commissions to 
comply with the law, and the lack of enforcement of the law by both 
Federal and State law enforcement officials. Corruption remains endemic 
in professional boxing, and the sport continues to be beset with a 
variety of problems, some beyond the scope of the current system of 
local regulation.
  Therefore, the bill we are introducing today would further strengthen 
Federal boxing laws, and also create a Federal regulatory entity, the 
``United States Boxing Administration'', USBA, to oversee the sport. 
The USBA would be headed by an Administrator, appointed by the 
President, with the advice and consent of the Senate.
  The primary functions of the USBA would be to protect the health, 
safety, and general interests of boxers. More specifically, the USBA 
would, among other things: administer Federal boxing laws and 
coordinate with other Federal regulatory agencies to ensure that these 
laws are enforced; oversee all professional boxing matches in the 
United States; and work with the boxing industry and local commissions 
to improve the status and standards of the sport. The USBA would 
license boxers, promoters, managers, and sanctioning organizations, and 
revoke or suspend such licenses if the USBA believes that such action 
is in the public interest. No longer would a boxer like Mike Tyson be 
able to forum-shop for a State with a weak commission if he is 
undeserving of a license.
  The fines collected and licensing fees imposed by the USBA would be 
used to fund a percentage of its activities. The USBA would also 
maintain a centralized database of medical and statistical information 
pertaining to boxers in the

[[Page S5033]]

United States that would be used confidentially by local commissions in 
making licensing decisions.
  Let me be clear. The USBA would not be intended to micro-manage 
boxing by interfering with the daily operations of local boxing 
commissions. Instead, the USBA would work in consultation with local 
commissions, and the Administrator would only exercise his/her 
authority should reasonable grounds exist for intervention.
  The problems that plague the sport of professional boxing compromise 
the safety of boxers and undermine the credibility of the sport in the 
eyes of the public. I believe this bill provides a realistic approach 
to curbing these problems, and I urge my colleagues to support this 
proposal.

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