SB599,4
3Section
4. 444.01 (1h) of the statutes is created to read:
SB599,3,64
444.01
(1h) "Boxing" means the act of attack and defense with the fists, using
5padded gloves, that is practiced as a sport under the rules described under s. 444.05,
6or other, comparable rules.
SB599,5
7Section
5. 444.01 (1j) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
SB599,3,108
444.01
(1j) "Mixed martial arts fighting" means fighting that involves the use
9of a combination of techniques from different disciplines of martial arts, including
10grappling, kicking, and striking.
SB599,6
11Section
6. 444.01 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,3,1312
444.01
(3) "Professional contest" means a professional boxing contest or a
13professional
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports contest.
SB599,7
14Section
7. 444.01 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,3,1815
444.01
(4) "Professional
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports 16contest" means a
mixed martial arts fighting contest
or exhibition of unarmed
17combat sports in which one or more of the
fighters
contestants is compensated for
18participating in the contest or exhibition.
SB599,8
19Section
8. 444.01 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
SB599,3,2320
444.01
(5) "Unarmed combat sports" means any form of fighting in which the
21objective is for a contestant to injure, disable, or incapacitate one's opponent, but does
22not include any fighting in a contest for which the rules prohibit a contestant from
23striking an opponent's head.
SB599,9
24Section
9. 444.02 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,4,7
1444.02
(1) The department shall have the sole direction, management, and
2control of, and jurisdiction over, all professional contests and all amateur
mixed
3martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports contests conducted within the state by
4any promoter or club. No club or promoter may conduct professional contests or
5amateur
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports contests within the
6state except under authority granted by the department and in accordance with this
7chapter and the rules of the department.
SB599,10
8Section
10. 444.02 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,4,169
444.02
(2) The department may issue, and for cause limit, suspend, or revoke,
10a license to conduct professional contests or amateur
mixed martial arts fighting 11unarmed combat sports contests to any promoter or incorporated club formed as
12provided in this chapter. Every license shall be subject to the department's rules and
13regulations. The department may limit the number of professional contests and
14amateur
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports contests given by any
15promoter or club in any city, village, or town and may reprimand a promoter or club
16for violating this chapter or any rule of the department.
SB599,11
17Section
11. 444.02 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,4,2318
444.02
(3) (intro.) No professional contest or amateur
mixed martial arts
19fighting unarmed combat sports contest may be conducted by any licensed club
20without a permit from the department. An application for a permit shall be
21accompanied by a nonrefundable $300 processing fee. Every permit shall be
22conditioned on payment by the promoter or club to the department, within 2 business
23days after the event for which the permit was issued, of the following fees:
SB599,12
24Section
12. 444.03 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,5,8
1444.03 Application for license; fee. No professional contest or amateur
2mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports contest may be conducted by any
3promoter or club except by license granted to it by the department. An application
4for a license shall be in writing, addressed to the department, and verified by the
5promoter or by an officer of the club. An application shall be accompanied by an
6annual fee of $500. The application must show that the promoter or club has entered
7into a valid agreement for the use of the building, amphitheater, or stadium in which
8contests are to be held.
SB599,13
9Section
13. 444.035 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,5,15
10444.035 Bond. The department shall by rule require a promoter or club
11conducting a professional contest or amateur
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed
12combat sports contest to post a bond or other surety in a reasonable amount
13determined by the department to ensure payment of the promoter's or club's
14expenses in conducting the contest, including payments to contestants and to the
15department.
SB599,14
16Section
14. 444.04 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,6,2
17444.04 Promoter and club reports. Within 2 business days after a promoter
18or club holds a professional contest or amateur
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed
19combat sports contest, the club shall furnish to the department a written report,
20verified by the promoter or by one of the club's officers under penalty of perjury,
21showing the number of tickets sold for the contest, the amount of gross proceeds, and
22all other information the department requires by rule to be included in the report.
23The department may limit, suspend, revoke, or assess a forfeiture to the promoter
24or club for failure to comply with this section or failure to provide accurate
1information to the department. Any forfeiture collected under this section shall be
2deposited in the appropriation account under s. 20.165 (1) (jm).
SB599,15
3Section
15. 444.06 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,6,14
4444.06 Inspectors. The department shall appoint official inspectors, each of
5whom shall receive a card authorizing the inspector to act wherever the department
6designates. The department may be, and at least one inspector shall be present at
7all professional contests and all amateur
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed
8combat sports contests and see that the rules are strictly observed. Inspectors shall
9be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance
10of their duties. The department may require a promoter or club to pay the cost of
11designating additional inspectors, who may include a referee or judge performing the
12duties of an inspector, for an event. The department may require a promoter or club
13to pay the department an amount not to exceed $250 for each additional inspector
14designated by the department.
SB599,16
15Section
16. 444.095 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,6,17
16444.095 (title)
Conduct of mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat
17sports contests regulated.
SB599,17
18Section
17. 444.095 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,6,2119
444.095
(1) No individual may be a contestant in an amateur
mixed martial
20arts fighting unarmed combat sports contest unless the individual can provide
21evidence that he or she is covered by adequate health insurance.
SB599,18
22Section
18. 444.095 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,6,2423
444.095
(2) (intro.) No promoter or club may conduct
a mixed martial arts
24fighting an unarmed combat sports contest unless all of the following apply:
SB599,19
25Section
19. 444.095 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,7,3
1444.095
(2) (c)
A At least one physician
, or more at the discretion of the
2department, is present during each match to provide emergency care in the event of
3an injury.
SB599,20
4Section
20. 444.095 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,7,75
444.095
(3) (intro.) The department shall promulgate rules that establish all
6of the following with respect to
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports 7contests:
SB599,21
8Section
21. 444.095 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,7,109
444.095
(3) (a) Qualifications and fees for licensure of referees and judges for
10mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports contests.
SB599,22
11Section
22. 444.095 (3) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,7,1412
444.095
(3) (b) (intro.) Requirements for regular health examinations of
mixed
13martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports contestants, including all of the
14following:
SB599,23
15Section
23. 444.11 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,7,25
16444.11 Licenses to matchmakers, referees, contestants, etc. The
17department may grant licenses upon application and the payment of the prescribed
18fees to matchmakers, managers, referees, boxers,
mixed martial arts fighters 19unarmed combat sports contestants, seconds, and
trainers timekeepers in
20professional contests and amateur
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat
21sports contests. The fees to be paid per year shall be: Matchmakers and managers,
22$10; referees and judges, $15; examining physicians, $10; boxers and
mixed martial
23arts fighters unarmed combat sports contestants, $40; seconds, $40; and
24timekeepers, $10. The department may limit, suspend, or revoke any license granted
25under this section or reprimand the licensee upon such cause as it deems sufficient.
SB599,24
1Section
24. 444.12 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,8,6
2444.12 Referee to stop contest. The referee
must shall stop a professional
3contest or amateur
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports contest when
4either of the contestants shows a marked superiority or is apparently outclassed.
5The referee shall be the sole arbiter of the contest and may consult
the a physician
6identified in s. 444.095 (2) (c) during the contest.
SB599,25
7Section
25. 444.13 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,8,12
8444.13 Sham contests, license revoked. Any promoter or club that
9conducts, holds, gives, or participates in any sham or fake professional contest or
10amateur
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports contest shall forfeit its
11license. That license shall be revoked by the department, and the promoter or club
12shall not be entitled to another license.
SB599,26
13Section
26. 444.14 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,8,21
14444.14 Sham contests; contestants penalized; forfeitures; hearing. The
15department shall ban a contestant who participates in any sham or fake professional
16contest or amateur
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports contest or
17violates any rule promulgated by the department, and may require the contestant,
18the contestant's manager, or the promoter of the contest to forfeit an amount
19determined by the department, but not more than $500. Fifty percent of all
20forfeitures collected under this section shall be deposited in the appropriation
21account under s. 20.165 (1) (im).
SB599,27
22Section
27. 444.15 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,9,11
23444.15 Reports; examination of books and officers. Whenever any
24promoter or club fails to make a report of any professional contest or amateur
mixed
25martial arts fighting unarmed combat sports contest at the time prescribed or
1whenever a report is unsatisfactory to the department, the secretary may examine
2the books and records of the promoter or club, may subpoena and examine, under
3oath, the promoter or the club's officers and other witnesses to determine the total
4amount of its gross receipts for any contest, and may hire an independent auditor to
5assist in making the determination. The secretary may require the promoter or club
6to pay the expenses of conducting the examination or the independent auditor's fee.
7If a promoter or club fails to pay the amount of expenses determined by the secretary
8to be due within 20 days after receiving notice of the amount, the promoter or club
9shall forfeit its license, be disqualified from receiving any license under this chapter,
10and forfeit to the state the sum of $1,000, which may be recovered by the department
11of justice in the name of the state.
SB599,28
12Section
28. 444.18 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB599,9,22
13444.18 Insurance on certain contestants. Any licensee authorized to
14conduct professional contests or amateur
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed
15combat sports contests shall insure each contestant participating for hospital,
16nursing, and medication expenses and physician's and surgeon's services according
17to an equitable fee schedule, not to exceed in the aggregate $25,000, to be paid to, or
18for the use of, any contestant to compensate for injuries sustained in any such
19contest; and shall insure each contestant for not less than $25,000 to be paid to the
20contestant's estate in the event of the contestant's death as the result of participation
21in such professional contest or amateur
mixed martial arts fighting unarmed combat
22sports contest.
SB599,29
23Section
29. 444.22 of the statutes is created to read:
SB599,10,2
1444.22 Rules. The department may promulgate any rules necessary to
2implement and enforce this chapter.