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