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S.B. 135

             1     

PROFESSIONAL BOXING LICENSURE AND

             2     
REGULATION

             3     
2000 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Sponsor: Pete Suazo

             6      AN ACT RELATING TO OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING;
             7      AMENDING THE TERM OF LICENSES ISSUED UNDER THE UTAH PROFESSIONAL
             8      BOXING REGULATION ACT; AMENDING CERTAIN DEFINITIONS IN THE ACT; AND
             9      MAKING TECHNICAL CHANGES.
             10      This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
             11      AMENDS:
             12          58-66-102, as last amended by Chapter 208, Laws of Utah 1998
             13          58-66-302, as enacted by Chapter 11, Laws of Utah 1995
             14          58-66-604, as last amended by Chapter 83, Laws of Utah 1997
             15      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             16          Section 1. Section 58-66-102 is amended to read:
             17           58-66-102. Definitions.
             18          In addition to the definitions in Section 58-1-102 , as used in this chapter:
             19          (1) "Bodily injury" means as defined in Section 76-1-601 .
             20          (2) "Commission" means the Utah Boxing Commission established under Section
             21      58-66-201 .
             22          (3) (a) "Contest" means:
             23          (i) a live boxing contest, match, performance, sparring match, or exhibition demonstrating
             24      the skill and ability of professional contestants when an admission fee is charged or that is telecast,
             25      televised, or broadcast to the public in any manner, including television, radio, transmission via
             26      a cable television system, microwave, closed circuit, satellite, fiber optic link, or any other method
             27      of distribution; or


             28          (ii) [a tough man] an elimination tournament contest as defined in Subsection [(15)] (4).
             29          (b) "Contest" does not include a boxing contest, match, performance, sparring match, or
             30      exhibition staged outside the state that is telecast, televised, or broadcast as a "pay-per-view
             31      telecast," closed circuit or otherwise, that is not intended to be available for viewing without the
             32      payment of a fee for the privilege of viewing the telecast, collected for or based upon each event
             33      viewed.
             34          [(15)] (4) "[Tough man] Elimination tournament contest" means a contest in which [tough
             35      man] elimination tournament contestants compete.
             36          [(16)] (5) "[Tough man] Elimination tournament contestant" means a person who:
             37          (a) participates in a contest for a cash purse in any amount or for a noncash purse with
             38      more than nominal value as defined by rule; and
             39          (b) is not licensed as a professional contestant in any state.
             40          [(4)] (6) "Exhibition" means an engagement in which the participants show or display their
             41      skills without necessarily striving to win.
             42          [(5)] (7) "Judge" means an individual qualified by training or experience to:
             43          (a) rate the performance of professional contestants;
             44          (b) score a contest; and
             45          (c) determine with other judges whether there is a winner of the contest or whether the
             46      professional contestants performed equally resulting in a draw.
             47          [(6)] (8) "Manager" means an individual who represents a professional contestant for the
             48      purposes of obtaining matches, negotiating terms and conditions of the contract under which the
             49      professional contestant will engage in a contest, or arranging for a second for the professional
             50      contestant at a contest.
             51          [(7)] (9) "Professional contestant" means an individual who participates in a contest for
             52      a cash purse in any amount or for a noncash purse with more than nominal value as defined by
             53      rule.
             54          [(8)] (10) "Promoter" means a person who engages in producing or staging professional
             55      contests and promotions.
             56          [(9)] (11) "Promotion" means a single contest or a combination of contests that occur
             57      during the same time at the same location and that is produced or staged by a promoter.
             58          [(10)] (12) (a) "Purse" means any money, prize, remuneration, or any other valuable


             59      consideration a professional contestant receives or may receive for participation in a contest.
             60          (b) "Purse" does not mean a trophy, medal, or similar object of nominal value as defined
             61      by rule that is received for participation in a contest.
             62          [(11)] (13) "Referee" means an individual qualified by training or experience to act as the
             63      official attending a professional contest at the point of contact between professional contestants
             64      for the purpose of:
             65          (a) enforcing the rules relating to the professional contest;
             66          (b) stopping the contest in the event the health, safety, and welfare of a professional
             67      contestant or any other person in attendance at the contest is in jeopardy; and
             68          (c) to act as a judge if so designated by the commission.
             69          [(12)] (14) "Second" means an individual who attends a professional contestant at the site
             70      of the contest before, during, and after the contest in accordance with contest rules.
             71          [(13)] (15) "Serious bodily injury" means as defined in Section 76-1-601 .
             72          [(14)] (16) "Total gross receipts" means the amount of the face value of all tickets sold to
             73      a particular contest plus any sums received as consideration for holding the contest at a particular
             74      location.
             75          (17) "Ultimate fighting match" means a live match in which:
             76          (a) an admission fee is charged;
             77          (b) match rules permit professional contestants to use a combination of boxing, kicking,
             78      wrestling, hitting, punching, or other combative, contact techniques; and
             79          (c) match rules do not:
             80          (i) incorporate a formalized system of combative techniques against which a contestant's
             81      performance is judged to determine the prevailing contestant;
             82          (ii) divide a match into two or more equal and specified time periods for a match total of
             83      no more than 50 minutes; or
             84          (iii) prohibit contestants from:
             85          (A) using anything that is not part of the human body, except for boxing gloves, to
             86      intentionally inflict serious bodily injury upon an opponent through direct contact or the expulsion
             87      of a projectile;
             88          (B) striking a person who demonstrates an inability to protect himself from the advances
             89      of an opponent;


             90          (C) biting; or
             91          (D) direct, intentional, and forceful strikes to the eyes, groin area, adam's apple area of the
             92      neck, and temple area of the head.
             93          Section 2. Section 58-66-302 is amended to read:
             94           58-66-302. Term of license -- Expiration -- Renewal.
             95          (1) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (1)(b), the division shall issue each license under
             96      this chapter in accordance with a [one-year] two-year renewal cycle established by rule. The
             97      division may by rule extend or shorten a renewal period by as much as one year to stagger the
             98      renewal cycles it administers.
             99          (b) A contest promoter license shall be for a single promotion and shall expire upon
             100      termination of the promotion.
             101          (2) At the time of renewal, the licensee shall show satisfactory evidence of compliance
             102      with renewal requirements to be established by rule by the division in collaboration with the
             103      commission.
             104          (3) Each license automatically expires on the expiration date shown on the license unless
             105      the licensee renews it in accordance with Section 58-1-308 .
             106          Section 3. Section 58-66-604 is amended to read:
             107           58-66-604. Rules.
             108          (1) The division in collaboration with the commission shall adopt rules in accordance with
             109      the provisions of Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, for the conduct of
             110      contests and [tough man] elimination tournament contests in the state.
             111          (2) The rules shall include authority for stopping contests, impounding purses with respect
             112      to contests when there is a question with respect to the contest, professional contestants, or any
             113      other licensee associated with the contest, and reasonable and necessary provisions to ensure that
             114      all obligations of a promoter with respect to any promotion or contest are paid in accordance with
             115      agreements made by the promoter.
             116          (3) The rules shall:
             117          (a) prohibit ultimate fighting matches; and
             118          (b) require the revocation of the license of any licensee who publicizes, promotes,
             119      conducts, or engages in an ultimate fighting match.





Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-20-00 11:02 AM


A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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