SB290-SSA1, s. 16 21Section 16. 444.09 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB290-SSA1,5,2422 444.09 (3) Gloves weighing not less than 5 8 ounces shall be worn by
23contestants who are in professional boxing contests and who weigh under 140
24pounds, and not less than 6 ounces by other contestants in boxing contests.
SB290-SSA1, s. 17 25Section 17. 444.09 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB290-SSA1,6,5
1444.09 (6) Contestants in professional boxing contests shall break clean, and
2must not hold and hit. Butting with head or shoulders, wrestling, or illegal use of
3elbows shall not be allowed by contestants in professional boxing contests. There
4shall be no unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of the contestants. This includes
5the use of abusive or insulting language.
SB290-SSA1, s. 18 6Section 18. 444.09 (8) of the statutes is repealed.
SB290-SSA1, s. 19 7Section 19. 444.09 (9) of the statutes is created to read:
SB290-SSA1,6,98 444.09 (9) Except as otherwise specified in this chapter, boxing contests shall
9be conducted under the Association of Boxing Commissions' uniform boxing rules.
SB290-SSA1, s. 20 10Section 20. 444.095 of the statutes is created to read:
SB290-SSA1,6,14 11444.095 Conduct of mixed martial arts fighting contests regulated. (1)
12No individual may be a contestant in an amateur mixed martial arts fighting contest
13unless the individual can provide evidence that he or she is covered by adequate
14health insurance.
SB290-SSA1,6,16 15(2) No promoter or club may conduct a mixed martial arts fighting contest
16unless all of the following apply:
SB290-SSA1,6,1817 (a) There is present at least one referee who is licensed by the department and
18at least 4 judges who are licensed by the department.
SB290-SSA1,6,2019 (b) A physician examines each contestant immediately before and after each
20match in which the contestant participates.
SB290-SSA1,6,2221 (c) A physician is present during each match to provide emergency care in the
22event of an injury.
SB290-SSA1,6,2423 (d) An ambulance and emergency medical services personnel with oxygen are
24present on the premises and equipped to transport an injured contestant.
SB290-SSA1,7,2
1(3) The department shall promulgate rules that establish all of the following
2with respect to mixed martial arts fighting contests:
SB290-SSA1,7,43 (a) Qualifications and fees for licensure of referees and judges for mixed martial
4arts fighting contests.
SB290-SSA1,7,65 (b) Requirements for regular health examinations of mixed martial arts
6fighting contestants, including all of the following:
SB290-SSA1,7,87 1. Annual physical examinations by physicians and annual eye examinations
8by physicians who are board-certified ophthalmologists.
SB290-SSA1,7,99 2. Annual screening for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
SB290-SSA1,7,1010 3. For female contestants, pregnancy tests before contests.
SB290-SSA1,7,1211 (c) Policies prohibiting contestants from using drugs, including anabolic
12steroids, and mandating drug testing of contestants.
SB290-SSA1,7,15 13(4) Except as otherwise specified in this chapter, mixed martial arts fighting
14contests shall be conducted under the Association of Boxing Commissions' uniform
15rules of mixed martial arts.
SB290-SSA1, s. 21 16Section 21. 444.10 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB290-SSA1,7,17 17444.10 Physician to examine professional boxing contestants.
SB290-SSA1, s. 22 18Section 22. 444.11 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB290-SSA1,8,4 19444.11 Licenses to matchmakers, referees, boxers contestants, etc. The
20department may grant licenses upon application and the payment of the prescribed
21fees to matchmakers, managers, referees, examining physicians, boxers, mixed
22martial art fighters,
seconds, and trainers in professional boxing contests and
23amateur mixed martial arts fighting contests
. The fees to be paid per year shall be:
24Matchmakers in cities with a population of over 150,000, $25; matchmakers in other
25cities and in villages and towns, $10;
and managers, $10; referees, $15; examining

1physicians, $10; boxers, $5, $40 and mixed martial arts fighters; seconds, $40; and
2trainers timekeepers, $5. The department may limit, suspend, or revoke any such
3license granted under this section or reprimand the holder thereof licensee upon
4such cause as it deems sufficient.
SB290-SSA1, s. 23 5Section 23. 444.12 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB290-SSA1,8,10 6444.12 Referee to stop contest. The referee must stop a professional boxing
7contest or amateur mixed martial arts fighting contest when either of the
8contestants shows a marked superiority or is apparently outclassed. The referee
9shall be the sole arbiter of the contest and may consult the physician identified in s.
10444.095 (2) (c) during the contest.
SB290-SSA1, s. 24 11Section 24. 444.13 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB290-SSA1,8,17 12444.13 Sham contests, license revoked. Any promoter or club that
13conducts, holds, gives, or participates in any sham or fake professional boxing
14contest or amateur mixed martial arts fighting contest shall forfeit its license. That
15license shall be revoked by the department, and the promoter or club shall not be
16entitled to another license, nor shall any license be issued to any club that has a
17member who belonged to a club that had its license revoked
.
SB290-SSA1, s. 25 18Section 25. 444.14 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB290-SSA1,9,20 19444.14 Sham contests; contestants penalized; forfeitures; hearing. Any
20The department shall ban a contestant who participates in any sham or fake
21professional boxing contest or amateur mixed martial arts fighting contest or
22violates any rule or regulation of promulgated by the department shall be penalized
23as follows: For the first offense the contestant shall be restrained by order of the
24department for not less than 2 months nor more than one year, the period to begin
25immediately after the occurrence of the offense, from participation in the contest to

1be held or given by any licensed club; for a 2nd offense, the contestant shall be
2permanently disqualified from further admission or participation in any such
3contest held or given by any licensed club and in addition, for each such offense, shall
4forfeit such amount, out of the share or purse agreed to be paid the contestant for the
5contest as the department determines, the forfeit to be paid into the general fund of
6the state. The department, upon determining the amount of the forfeit, may pay the
7same out of any guarantee deposited with it for delivery to the contestant or may
8order it paid to the department by the club employing the contestant out of the purse
9or share agreed by it to be paid to the contestant. The department shall not
10determine the forfeit until after due hearing held upon reasonable notice duly served
11upon
, and may require the contestant or , the contestant's manager and upon the club
12by whom the contestant is employed. Any member of the department or the secretary
13or any inspector of the department may order the club to hold the share or purse of
14the contestant in its possession pending the hearing and determination of the
15department. For failure to obey any order of the department or the secretary of the
16department or any inspector of the department given under this section, the license
17of the club may be limited, suspended, canceled, or revoked, and the club may be
18reprimanded
, or the promoter of the contest to forfeit an amount determined by the
19department, but not more than $500. Fifty percent of all forfeitures collected under
20this section shall be deposited in the appropriation account under s. 20.165 (1) (im)
.
SB290-SSA1, s. 26 21Section 26. 444.15 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB290-SSA1,9,26 22444.15 Reports; examination of books and officers. Whenever any
23promoter or club fails to make a report of any professional boxing contest or amateur
24mixed martial arts fighting contest
at the time prescribed or whenever a report is
25unsatisfactory to the department, the secretary of the department may examine the

1books and records of the promoter or club and, may subpoena and examine, under
2oath, the promoter or the club's officers and other witnesses to determine the total
3amount of its gross receipts for any contest, and may hire an independent auditor to
4assist in making the determination
. The secretary may require the promoter or club
5to pay the expenses of conducting the examination or the independent auditor's fee.
6If a promoter or club fails to pay the amount of expenses determined by the secretary
7to be due within 20 days after receiving notice of the amount, the promoter or club
8shall forfeit its license, be disqualified from receiving any license under this chapter,
9and forfeit to the state the sum of $1,000, which may be recovered by the department
10of justice in the name of the state.
SB290-SSA1, s. 27 11Section 27. 444.18 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB290-SSA1,10,21 12444.18 Insurance on boxers certain contestants. Any licensee authorized
13to conduct professional boxing contests or amateur mixed martial arts fighting
14contests
shall insure each contestant participating for hospital, nursing, and
15medication expenses and physician's and surgeon's services according to an
16equitable fee schedule, not to exceed in the aggregate $500 $25,000, to be paid to, or
17for the use of, any contestant to compensate for injuries sustained in any such
18contest; and shall insure each contestant for not less than $2,500 $25,000 to be paid
19to the contestant's estate in the event of the contestant's death as the result of
20participation in such professional boxing contest or amateur mixed martial arts
21fighting contest
.
SB290-SSA1, s. 28 22Section 28. Nonstatutory provisions.
SB290-SSA1,11,223 (1) The department of regulation and licensing shall submit in proposed form
24the rule required under section 444.035 of the statutes, as created by this act, to the

1legislative council staff under section 227.15 (1) of the statutes no later than than the
2first day of the 6th month beginning after the effective date of this subsection.
SB290-SSA1,11,113 (2) Using the procedure under section 227.24 of the statutes, the department
4of regulation and licensing shall promulgate the rule required under section 444.035
5of the statutes, as created by this act, for the period before the effective date of the
6rule submitted under subsection (1), but not to exceed the period authorized under
7section 227.24 (1) (c) and (2) of the statutes. Notwithstanding section 227.24 (1) (a),
8(2) (b), and (3) of the statutes, the department is not required to provide evidence that
9promulgating a rule under this subsection as an emergency rule is necessary for the
10preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare and is not required to
11provide a finding of emergency for a rule promulgated under this subsection.
SB290-SSA1,11,1512 (3) The authorized FTE positions for the department of regulation and
13licensing are increased by 3.0 PR positions, to be funded from the appropriation
14under section 20.165 (1) (g) of the statutes, for the purpose of providing increased
15staff for the administration of chapter 444 of the statutes, as affected by this act.
SB290-SSA1, s. 29 16Section 29. Effective date.
SB290-SSA1,11,1817 (1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 7th month beginning after
18publication.
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