HB1646eng 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1646 Engrossed LRB099 06790 HAF 26864 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 Section 1 and by adding Section 6.5 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(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2022)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.

"Elimination tournament" means a combative sports contest in which the contestants compete in a series of matches until not more than one contestant remains in any weight category.

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

(225 ILCS 105/6.5 new)

Sec. 6.5. Elimination tournaments.

(a) All elimination tournaments conducted in this State must be conducted in accordance with this Section.

(b) Before the start of any elimination tournament, the Department shall check all promoters, professionals, and officials associated with the elimination tournament for licenses issued by the Department. Any individual without a current license registered or issued by the Commission shall not participate in the event.

(c) The promoter of an elimination tournament must:

(1) complete an application provided by the Department;

(2) provide a surety bond, cash, certificate of deposit, or other form of security acceptable to the Department in the amount of $5,000; the Department may increase the security as circumstances warrant;

(3) provide medical insurance in the amount of at least $10,000 for each participant; and

(4) submit a $50 permit fee.

In addition, the promoter of an elimination tournament must:

(A) arrange for an ambulance to be on site at each event with emergency medical personnel and proper resuscitation equipment;

(B) provide 16-ounce boxing gloves that shall be worn by all participants;

(C) provide headgear that shall be worn by all participants;

(D) provide adequate security at each event; and

(E) arrange spectator seating at least 6 feet away from the ring apron.

The promoter of an elimination tournament may act as a matchmaker for the purposes of arranging bouts.

Promoters of elimination tournaments may request the Department to not accept any participant due to conduct or safety. Upon approval of the request by the Department, the participant in question shall be banned from participating in the event.

(d) Elimination tournaments shall consist of 3 one-minute rounds with a one-minute rest period between each round. Each round shall be judged on a 10-point must system.

Elimination tournaments shall be single-elimination events. An elimination participant who has lost a bout may not participate in the same program of bouts.

If a participant is knocked down 3 times in a round, that participant shall be declared the loser of the bout.

If a bout is declared a draw, the judges shall reevaluate their scorecards and select a winner.

The referee or the ringside physician may stop a bout if, in the judgment of either, allowing the bout to continue may jeopardize the health or the safety of a participant.

Elimination tournaments may be one-night or 2-night events. Elimination tournament participants may not participate in more than one match during the first night of a 2-night elimination tournament.

An elimination tournament participant may participate in any number of bouts the second night of a 2-night elimination tournament.

Competing for or winning a prize in an elimination tournament shall not make the participant a professional within the scope of this Act unless all other participants in the tournament are professionals.

Bouts between male and female participants shall not be permitted.

(e) Participants in elimination tournaments shall:

(1) be at least 18 years of age;

(2) provide the Department with one form of photo identification with date of birth;

(3) complete an application form provided by the Department;

(4) submit the required license fee of $20; and

(5) provide 2 photographs of himself or herself.

An individual may not participate in elimination tournaments if he or she (i) has been a competitor in a professional boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts competition or (ii) has been a winner of more than 5 of any combination of amateur boxing, kickboxing, or elimination tournament events in the past 5 years or more than 3 of any combination of amateur boxing, kickboxing, or elimination tournament events in the past 12 months, unless the event is restricted to winners of previous events.

A participant shall not wear any type of body piercing, hard contact lenses, dentures, or removable dental work during a bout. A participant with dental braces may compete if the participant wears a fitted mouthpiece covering the entire brace.

Male participants must wear a groin protector and a mouthpiece during all bouts.

Female participants shall provide a negative pregnancy test that shall be verified by the ringside physician or they shall not be permitted to compete.

(f) Each participant shall submit to and complete a pre-bout medical examination performed by a Department-appointed ringside physician before the elimination tournament begins. The physicals shall be performed at the location of the event, unless an alternate location is approved by the Department. The ringside physician shall be a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches or doctor of osteopathy. The examination shall cover the following, with the results written on a form provided by the Department: blood pressure, head, eyes, ears, nose, throat, lungs, chest, heart, and abdomen.

No participant shall be allowed to participate in an elimination tournament if he or she is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The Department may require elimination tournament participants to submit to an alcohol breathalyzer test at any time.

If the ringside physician determines a participant is unfit to compete for any reason, that participant shall not participate in the elimination tournament. The ringside physician shall remain at ringside at all times during an elimination tournament bout and shall perform post-bout medical evaluations of all participants. The Department shall provide forms for the ringside physician to complete.

(g) The promoter shall provide all of the following ringside at the elimination tournament:

(1) a sufficient number of buckets for use by the participants;

(2) stools for use by seconds;

(3) rubber gloves for use by the referees, seconds, ringside physicians, and inspectors;

(4) seats at ringside for the assigned officials, including a seat near the steps into the ring for the physician;

(5) scales for weigh-ins, which the Department may require to be certified;

(6) a bell;

(7) a public address system;

(8) a separate dressing room for both genders, if participants of each gender are participating;

(9) a separate room for physical examinations; and

(10) a separate dressing room for officials, unless the physical arrangements of the contest site make an additional dressing room impossible.

(h) Elimination tournaments shall consist of the following 4 weight classes for male and female participants:

(1) The lightweight class shall consist of participants of at least 140 but less than 160 pounds in weight.

(2) The light heavyweight class shall consist of participants of at least 160 but less than 185 pounds in weight.

(3) The heavyweight class shall consist of participants of at least 185 but less than 205 pounds in weight.

(3) The super heavyweight class shall consist of participants of at least 205 pounds in weight.

The promoter may add additional weight classes to the program of bouts if participants in other categories apply to compete upon approval by the Department.

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