HB2856eng 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB2856 Engrossed LRB100 10434 SMS 20643 b

AN ACT concerning regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Boxing and Full-contact Martial Arts Act is amended by changing Sections 1, 6, and 12 as follows:

(225 ILCS 105/1) (from Ch. 111, par. 5001)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2022)

Sec. 1. Short title and definitions.

(a) This Act may be cited as the Boxing and Full-contact Martial Arts Act.

(b) As used in this Act:

"Department" means the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

"Secretary" means the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation.

"Board" means the State of Illinois Athletic Board established pursuant to this Act.

"License" means the license issued for promoters, professionals, or officials in accordance with this Act.

"Professional contest" means a boxing or full-contact martial arts competition in which all of the participants competing against one another are professionals and where the public is able to attend or a fee is charged.

"Permit" means the authorization from the Department to a promoter to conduct professional or amateur contests, or a combination of both.

"Promoter" means a person who is licensed and who holds a permit to conduct professional or amateur contests, or a combination of both.

Unless the context indicates otherwise, "person" includes, but is not limited to, an individual, association, organization, business entity, gymnasium, or club.

"Judge" means a person licensed by the Department who is located at ringside or adjacent to the fighting area during a professional contest and who has the responsibility of scoring the performance of the participants in that professional contest.

"Referee" means a person licensed by the Department who has the general supervision of and is present inside of the ring or fighting area during a professional contest.

"Amateur" means a person registered by the Department who is not competing for, and has never received or competed for, any purse or other article of value, directly or indirectly, either for participating in any contest or for the expenses of training therefor, other than a non-monetary prize that does not exceed $50 in value.

"Professional" means a person licensed by the Department who competes for a money prize, purse, or other type of compensation in a professional contest held in Illinois.

"Second" means a person licensed by the Department who is present at any professional contest to provide assistance or advice to a professional during the contest.

"Matchmaker" means a person licensed by the Department who brings together professionals to compete in contests.

"Manager" means a person licensed by the Department who is not a promoter and who, under contract, agreement, or other arrangement, undertakes to, directly or indirectly, control or administer the affairs of professionals.

"Timekeeper" means a person licensed by the Department who is the official timer of the length of rounds and the intervals between the rounds.

"Purse" means the financial guarantee or any other remuneration for which contestants are participating in a professional contest.

"Physician" means a person licensed to practice medicine in all its branches under the Medical Practice Act of 1987.

"Martial arts" means a discipline or combination of different disciplines that utilizes sparring techniques without the intent to injure, disable, or incapacitate one's opponent, such as, but not limited to, Karate, Kung Fu, Judo, Jujutsu, Tae Kwon Do, and Kyuki-Do.

"Full-contact martial arts" means the use of a singular discipline or a combination of techniques from different disciplines of the martial arts, including, without limitation, full-force grappling, kicking, and striking with the intent to injure, disable, or incapacitate one's opponent.

"Amateur contest" means a boxing or full-contact martial arts competition in which all of the participants competing against one another are amateurs and where the public is able to attend or a fee is charged.

"Contestant" means a person who competes in either a boxing or full-contact martial arts contest.

"Address of record" means the designated address recorded by the Department in the applicant's or licensee's application file, license file, or registration file as maintained by the Department's licensure maintenance unit. It is the duty of the applicant or licensee to inform the Department of any change of address and those changes must be made either through the Department's website or by contacting the Department.

"Bout" means one match between 2 contestants.

"Sanctioning body" means an organization approved by the Department under the requirements and standards stated in this Act and the rules adopted under this Act to act as a governing body that sanctions professional or amateur contests.

"Kickboxing" means a form of boxing in which only punches and kicks are allowed.

(Source: P.A. 96-663, eff. 8-25-09; 97-119, eff. 7-14-11; 97-1123, eff. 8-27-12.)

(225 ILCS 105/6) (from Ch. 111, par. 5006)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2022)

Sec. 6. Restricted contests and events. (a) All professional and amateur contests, or a combination of both, in which physical contact is made are prohibited in Illinois unless authorized by the Department pursuant to the requirements and standards stated in this Act and the rules adopted pursuant to this Act. This Section subsection (a) does not apply to any of the following:

(1) Amateur boxing or full-contact martial arts contests conducted by accredited secondary schools, colleges, or universities, although a fee may be charged.

(2) Amateur boxing contests that are sanctioned by USA Boxing or any other sanctioning organization approved by the Association of Boxing Commissions.

(3) Amateur boxing or full-contact martial arts contests conducted by a State, county, or municipal entity.

(4) Amateur martial arts contests that are not defined as full-contact martial arts contests under this Act, including, but not limited to, Karate, Kung Fu, Judo, Jujutsu, Tae Kwon Do, and Kyuki-Do.

(5) Full-contact martial arts contests, as defined by this Act, that are recognized by the International Olympic Committee or are contested in the Olympic Games and are not conducted in an enclosed fighting area or ring.

(6) Amateur kickboxing contests that are sanctioned by nationally recognized sanctioning bodies, such as the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations USA, KICK International, the International Kickboxing Federation, the International Sport Karate and Kickboxing Association, and the World Kickboxing Association.

No other amateur boxing or full-contact martial arts contests shall be permitted unless authorized by the Department.

(b) The Department shall have the authority to determine whether a professional or amateur contest is exempt for purposes of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 96-663, eff. 8-25-09; 97-119, eff. 7-14-11; 97-1123, eff. 8-27-12.)

(225 ILCS 105/12) (from Ch. 111, par. 5012)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2022)

Sec. 12. Professional or amateur contests.

(a) The professional or amateur contest, or a combination of both, shall be held in an area where adequate neurosurgical facilities are immediately available for skilled emergency treatment of an injured professional or amateur.

(b) Each professional or amateur shall be examined before the contest and promptly after each bout by a physician. The physician shall determine, prior to the contest, if each professional or amateur is physically fit to compete in the contest. After the bout the physician shall examine the professional or amateur to determine possible injury. If the professional's or amateur's physical condition so indicates, the physician shall recommend to the Department immediate medical suspension. The physician or a licensed paramedic must check the vital signs of all contestants as established by rule.

(c) The physician may, at any time during the professional or amateur bout, stop the professional or amateur bout to examine a professional or amateur contestant and may direct the referee to terminate the bout when, in the physician's opinion, continuing the bout could result in serious injury to the professional or amateur. If the professional's or amateur's physical condition so indicates, the physician shall recommend to the Department immediate medical suspension. The physician shall certify to the condition of the professional or amateur in writing, over his signature on forms provided by the Department. Such reports shall be submitted to the Department in a timely manner.

(d) No professional or amateur contest, or a combination of both, shall be allowed to begin or be held unless at least one physician, at least one EMT and one paramedic, and one ambulance have been contracted with solely for the care of professionals or amateurs who are competing as defined by rule.

(e) No professional boxing bout shall be more than 12 rounds in length. The rounds shall not be more than 3 minutes each with a one minute interval between them, and no professional boxer shall be allowed to participate in more than one contest within a 7-day period.

The number and length of rounds for all other professional or amateur boxing or full-contact martial arts contests, or a combination of both, shall be determined by rule.

(f) The number and types of officials required for each professional or amateur contest, or a combination of both, shall be determined by rule.

(g) The Department or its representative shall have discretion to declare a price, remuneration, or purse or any part of it belonging to the professional withheld if in the judgment of the Department or its representative the professional is not honestly competing.

(h) The Department shall have the authority to prevent a professional or amateur contest, or a combination of both, from being held and shall have the authority to stop a professional or amateur contest, or a combination of both, for noncompliance with any part of this Act or rules or when, in the judgment of the Department, or its representative, continuation of the event would endanger the health, safety, and welfare of the professionals or amateurs or spectators. The Department's authority to stop a contest on the basis that the professional or amateur contest, or a combination of both, would endanger the health, safety, and welfare of the professionals or amateurs or spectators shall extend to any professional or amateur contest, or a combination of both, regardless of whether that amateur contest is exempted from the prohibition in Section 6 of this Act. Department staff, or its representative, may be present at any full-contact martial arts contest with scheduled amateur bouts.

(i) Participants of kickboxing contests must use, at a minimum, 10 ounce gloves.

(Source: P.A. 97-119, eff. 7-14-11; 98-973, eff. 8-15-14.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.