House Bill 3623c1

    Florida House of Representatives - 1998             CS/HB 3623

        By the Committee on Tourism and Representative Tamargo






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to pugilistic exhibitions;

  3         amending s. 548.003, F.S.; providing that the

  4         location of the State Athletic Commission

  5         shall be in Tampa; amending s. 548.007, F.S.;

  6         revising applicability of the Joe Lang Kershaw

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

  8         language with respect to prohibited toughman

  9         and badman competitions; amending s. 548.026,

10         F.S.; revising language with respect to the

11         duration of licenses issued under the act;

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

13         regulating weights, classes, and gloves;

14         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         (3)  The commission shall maintain an office in Tampa

22  Tallahassee and any necessary branch offices.  At the first

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

24  commission shall select a chairman from among its membership.

25  Three members shall constitute a quorum and the concurrence of

26  at least three members is necessary for official commission

27  action.

28         Section 2.  Section 548.007, Florida Statutes, is

29  amended to read:

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1998             CS/HB 3623

    177-241-98






  1         548.007  Applicability of act to amateur matches and

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

  3  548.008, sections 548.001-548.079 do not apply to:

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

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

  6  college, or secondary school if all the participants are

  7  students regularly enrolled in the institution;

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

  9  chartered veterans' organization registered with the state;

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

11  detachment of the Florida National Guard; or

12         (5)  Any official Olympic event.

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

14  Statutes, is amended to read:

15         548.008  Toughman and badman competition prohibited.--

16         (1)  No professional or amateur toughman or badman

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

18  state.  Such competition includes any contest or exhibition

19  where participants compete by using a combination of fighting

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

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

22  Notwithstanding the above, this section shall not preclude

23  kickboxing as regulated by this chapter.

24         (2)  Any person participating in or promoting a

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

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

27  775.083.

28         Section 4.  Section 548.026, Florida Statutes, is

29  amended to read:

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1998             CS/HB 3623

    177-241-98






  1         548.026  Duration of license.--Each license shall

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

  3  it was issued.

  4         Section 5.  Section 548.043, Florida Statutes, is

  5  amended to read:

  6         548.043  Weights and classes, limitations; gloves.--

  7         (1)  The commission shall establish classes of boxers

  8  based upon weights.

  9         (2)  The commission shall establish by rule the

10  acceptable No boxing match shall be held in which the

11  difference in weight between of the participants in the same

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

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

14  cruiserweight light-heavyweight and heavyweight classes and

15  exhibitions held solely for training purposes.

16         (3)  The commission shall establish by rule the

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

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

19  boxing gloves weighing not less than 6 ounces each.

20  Participants in all other types of matches shall wear such

21  protective devices as the commission deems necessary.

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

23  law.

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