15 U.S.C. § 6304 — Safety standards

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—