15 U.S.C. § 6305 — Registration

Page 2233 TITLE 15—COMMERCE AND TRADE § 6305 tion to establish uniform and appropriate business practices and ethical standards. This has led to re- peated occurrences of disreputable and coercive busi- ness practices in the boxing industry, to the det- riment of professional boxers nationwide. ‘‘(2) State officials are the proper regulators of pro- fessional boxing events, and must protect the welfare of professional boxers and serve the public interest by closely supervising boxing activity in their jurisdic- tion. State boxing commissions do not currently re- ceive adequate information to determine whether boxers competing in their jurisdiction are being sub- jected to contract terms and business practices which may violate State regulations, or are onerous and confiscatory. ‘‘(3) Promoters who engage in illegal, coercive, or unethical business practices can take advantage of the lack of equitable business standards in the sport by holding boxing events in States with weaker regu- latory oversight. ‘‘(4) The sanctioning organizations which have pro- liferated in the boxing industry have not established credible and objective criteria to rate professional boxers, and operate with virtually no industry or public oversight. Their ratings are susceptible to ma- nipulation, have deprived boxers of fair opportunities for advancement, and have undermined public con- fidence in the integrity of the sport. ‘‘(5) Open competition in the professional boxing in- dustry has been significantly interfered with by re- strictive and anticompetitive business practices of certain promoters and sanctioning bodies, to the det- riment of the athletes and the ticket-buying public. Common practices of promoters and sanctioning or- ganizations represent restraints of interstate trade in the United States. ‘‘(6) It is necessary and appropriate to establish na- tional contracting reforms to protect professional boxers and prevent exploitive business practices, and to require enhanced financial disclosures to State athletic commissions to improve the public oversight of the sport.’’ PURPOSES OF 2000 AMENDMENT Pub. L. 106–210, § 3, May 26, 2000, 114 Stat. 322, provided that: ‘‘The purposes of this Act [see Short Title of 2000 Amendment note above] are— ‘‘(1) to protect the rights and welfare of profes- sional boxers on an interstate basis by preventing certain exploitive, oppressive, and unethical business practices; ‘‘(2) to assist State boxing commissions in their ef- forts to provide more effective public oversight of the sport; and ‘‘(3) to promote honorable competition in profes- sional boxing and enhance the overall integrity of the industry.’’ § 6302. Purposes The purposes of this chapter 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. (Pub. L. 104–272, § 3, Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3310.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Jan. 1, 1997, see section 23 of Pub. L. 104–272, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title. § 6303. Boxing matches in States without boxing commissions (a) No person may arrange, promote, organize, produce, or fight in a professional boxing match held in a State that does not have a boxing com- mission unless the match is supervised by a box- ing commission from another State and subject to the most recent version of the recommended regulatory guidelines certified and published by the Association of Boxing Commissions as well as any additional relevant professional boxing regulations and requirements of such other State. (b) For the purpose of this chapter, if no State commission is available to supervise a boxing match according to subsection (a), then— (1) the match may not be held unless it is su- pervised by an association of boxing commis- sions to which at least a majority of the States belong; and (2) any reporting or other requirement relat- ing to a supervising commission allowed under this section shall be deemed to refer to the en- tity described in paragraph (1). (Pub. L. 104–272, § 4, Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3310; Pub. L. 106–210, § 7(e), May 26, 2000, 114 Stat. 328.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2000—Pub. L. 106–210 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b). Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Jan. 1, 1997, see section 23 of Pub. L. 104–272, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title. § 6304. Safety standards No person may arrange, promote, organize, produce, or fight in a professional boxing match without meeting each of the following require- ments or an alternative requirement in effect under regulations of a boxing commission 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, cop- ies of which must be provided to the boxing commission. (2) Except as otherwise expressly provided under regulation of a boxing commission pro- mulgated subsequent to October 9, 1996, an am- bulance or medical personnel with appropriate resuscitation equipment continuously present on site. (3) A physician continuously present at ring- side. (4) Health insurance for each boxer to pro- vide medical coverage for any injuries sus- tained in the match. (Pub. L. 104–272, § 5, Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3310.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective July 1, 1997, see section 23(2) of Pub. L. 104–272, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title. § 6305. Registration (a) Requirements Each boxer shall register with— Page 2234 TITLE 15—COMMERCE AND TRADE § 6306 (1) the 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 boxing commission, the boxing commission of any State that has such a commission. (b) Identification card (1) Issuance A boxing commission shall issue to each pro- fessional boxer who registers in accordance with subsection (a), an identification card that contains each of the following: (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 pro- fessional boxer number from the country of residence of the boxer). (C) A personal identification number as- signed to the boxer by a boxing registry. (2) Renewal Each professional boxer shall renew his or her identification card at least once every 4 years. (3) Presentation Each professional boxer shall present his or her identification card to the appropriate box- ing commission not later than the time of the weigh-in for a professional boxing match. (c) Health and safety disclosures It is the sense of the Congress that a boxing commission should, upon issuing an identifica- tion card to a boxer under subsection (b)(1), make a health and safety disclosure to that boxer as that commission considers appropriate. The health and safety disclosure should include the health and safety risks associated with box- ing, and, in particular, the risk and frequency of brain injury and the advisability that a boxer periodically undergo medical procedures de- signed to detect brain injury. (Pub. L. 104–272, § 6, Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3310; Pub. L. 106–210, § 7(c), (f), May 26, 2000, 114 Stat. 328.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2000—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 106–210, § 7(c), substituted ‘‘4 years’’ for ‘‘2 years’’. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 106–210, § 7(f), added subsec. (c). Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective July 1, 1997, see section 23(2) of Pub. L. 104–272, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title. § 6306. Review (a) Procedures Each boxing commission shall establish each of the following procedures: (1) Procedures to evaluate the professional records and physician’s certification of each boxer participating in a professional boxing match in the State, and to deny authorization for a boxer to fight where appropriate. (2) Procedures to ensure that, except as pro- vided in subsection (b), no boxer is permitted to box while under suspension from any boxing commission due to— (A) a recent knockout or series of consecu- tive losses; (B) an injury, requirement for a medical procedure, or physician denial of certifi- cation; (C) failure of a drug test; (D) the use of false aliases, or falsifying, or attempting to falsify, official identification cards or documents; or (E) unsportsmanlike conduct or other in- appropriate behavior inconsistent with gen- erally accepted methods of competition in a professional boxing match. (3) Procedures to review a suspension where appealed by a boxer, licensee, manager, matchmaker, promoter, or other boxing serv- ice provider, including an opportunity for a boxer to present contradictory evidence. (4) Procedures to revoke a suspension where a boxer— (A) was suspended under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (2) of this subsection, and has furnished further proof of a sufficiently improved medical or physical condition; or (B) furnishes proof under subparagraph (C) or (D) of paragraph (2) that a suspension was not, or is no longer, merited by the facts. (b) Suspension in another State A boxing commission may allow a boxer who is under suspension in any State to participate in a professional boxing match— (1) for any reason other than those listed in subsection (a) if such commission notifies in writing and consults with the designated offi- cial of the suspending State’s boxing commis- sion prior to the grant of approval for such in- dividual to participate in that professional boxing match; or (2) if the boxer appeals to the Association of Boxing Commissions, and the Association of Boxing Commissions determines that the sus- pension of such boxer was without sufficient grounds, for an improper purpose, or not re- lated to the health and safety of the boxer or the purposes of this chapter. (Pub. L. 104–272, § 7, Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3311; Pub. L. 106–210, § 7(b), (d), May 26, 2000, 114 Stat. 328.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2000—Subsec. (a)(2)(E). Pub. L. 106–210, § 7(b), added subpar. (E). Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 106–210, § 7(d), substituted ‘‘boxer, licensee, manager, matchmaker, promoter, or other boxing service provider’’ for ‘‘boxer’’ the first place appearing. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective July 1, 1997, see section 23(2) of Pub. L. 104–272, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title. § 6307. Reporting Not later than 48 business hours after the con- clusion of a professional boxing match, the su-