Senate Bill 1318c1

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1318

    By the Committee on Regulated Industries and Senator Grant





    315-1818-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to pugilistic exhibitions;

  3         amending s. 548.003, F.S.; deleting requirement

  4         that the State Athletic Commission maintain an

  5         office in Tallahassee; amending s. 548.007,

  6         F.S.; revising applicability of the Joe Lang

  7         Kershaw Act; amending s. 548.008, F.S.;

  8         clarifying language with respect to prohibited

  9         toughman and badman competitions; amending s.

10         548.026, F.S.; revising language with respect

11         to the duration of licenses issued under the

12         act; amending s. 548.043, F.S.; revising

13         provisions regulating weights, classes, and

14         gloves; providing an effective date.

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16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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18         Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 548.003, Florida

19  Statutes, is amended to read:

20         548.003  State Athletic Commission.--

21         (1)  The State Athletic Commission is created under the

22  Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The State

23  Athletic Commission shall consist of five members appointed by

24  the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. Upon the

25  expiration of the term of a commissioner, the Governor shall

26  appoint a successor to serve for a 4-year term.

27         (2)  The State Athletic Commission, as created by

28  subsection (1), shall administer the provisions of this

29  chapter. The commission may adopt rules to implement this

30  chapter.

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1318
    315-1818-98




  1         (3)  The commission shall maintain an office in

  2  Tallahassee and any necessary branch offices.  At the first

  3  meeting of the commission after June 1 of each year, the

  4  commission shall select a chair from among its membership.

  5  Three members shall constitute a quorum and the concurrence of

  6  at least three members is necessary for official commission

  7  action.

  8         (4)  Each member of the commission shall be compensated

  9  at the rate of $25 for each day she or he attends a commission

10  meeting and shall be reimbursed for other expenses as provided

11  in s. 112.061.

12         Section 2.  Section 548.007, Florida Statutes, is

13  amended to read:

14         548.007  Applicability of act to amateur matches and

15  certain other matches or events.--With the exception of s.

16  548.008, sections 548.001-548.079 do not apply to:

17         (1)  Any match in which the participants are amateurs;

18         (2)  Any match conducted or sponsored by a university,

19  college, or secondary school if all the participants are

20  students regularly enrolled in the institution;

21         (3)  Any match conducted or sponsored by a nationally

22  chartered veterans' organization registered with the state;

23         (4)  Any match conducted or sponsored by any company or

24  detachment of the Florida National Guard; or

25         (5)  Any official Olympic event.

26         Section 3.  Subsection (1) of section 548.008, Florida

27  Statutes, is amended to read:

28         548.008  Toughman and badman competition prohibited.--

29         (1)  No professional or amateur toughman or badman

30  match, as described in this section, may be held in this

31  state.  Such competition includes any contest or exhibition

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1318
    315-1818-98




  1  where participants compete by using a combination of fighting

  2  skills.  Such skills may include, but are not limited to,

  3  boxing, wrestling, kicking, or martial arts skills.

  4  Notwithstanding the above, this section shall not preclude

  5  kickboxing as regulated by this chapter.

  6         (2)  Any person participating in or promoting a

  7  toughman or badman match is guilty of a misdemeanor of the

  8  second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.

  9  775.083.

10         Section 4.  Section 548.026, Florida Statutes, is

11  amended to read:

12         548.026  Duration of license.--Each license shall

13  expire 1 year on December 31 next following the date on which

14  it was issued.

15         Section 5.  Section 548.043, Florida Statutes, is

16  amended to read:

17         548.043  Weights and classes, limitations; gloves.--

18         (1)  The commission shall establish classes of boxers

19  based upon weights.

20         (2)  The commission shall establish by rule the

21  acceptable No boxing match shall be held in which the

22  difference in weight between of the participants in the same

23  weight class; however, the maximum difference in weight shall

24  not exceed 12 exceeds 10 pounds, except matches in the

25  cruiserweight light-heavyweight and heavyweight classes and

26  exhibitions held solely for training purposes.

27         (3)  The commission shall establish by rule the

28  appropriate weight of boxing gloves to be used in each boxing

29  match; however, all participants in boxing matches shall wear

30  boxing gloves weighing not less than 6 ounces each.

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 1318
    315-1818-98




  1  Participants in all other types of matches shall wear such

  2  protective devices as the commission deems necessary.

  3         Section 6.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  4  law.

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  6          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  7                              SB1318

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  9  Does not provide a specific location for the office of the
    State Athletic Commission.
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