sb336_LC_28_5195S_hss

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10 LC 28 5195S

The House Committee on Regulated Industries offers the following substitute to SB 336:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Chapter 4B of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, so as to revise certain definitions; to clarify the application of the chapter; to require certain safety standards; to include the Georgia Boxing Association as a recognized governing body for amateur boxing, wrestling, and martial arts; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 4B of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, is amended by revising paragraphs (1), (14), (15), (16), and (20) of Code Section 43-4B-1, relating to definitions, as follows:

"(1) 'Amateur,' when applied to a person engaged in boxing, wrestling, or a martial art, or mixed martial arts, means a person who receives no compensation or prize. Compensation or prize shall not include a reasonable trophy or belt. and engages in a match, contest, or exhibition of boxing, wrestling, or a martial art that is governed or authorized by:

(A) U.S.A. Boxing;

(B) The Georgia High School Athletic Association;

(D) Amateur Athletic Union;

(E) Golden Gloves;

(F) Team Georgia Amateur Wrestling;

(G) USA Wrestling;

(H) National High School Coaches Association;

(I) North American Sport Karate Association;

(J) International Sport Kick Boxing/Karate Association;

(K) World Kick Boxing Association;

(L) United States Kick Boxing Association;

(M) International Sport Combat Federation;

(N) Professional Karate Commission;

(O) International Kick Boxing Federation; or

(P) The local affiliate of any organization listed in this paragraph."

"(14) 'Professional' means a person who is participating or has participated in a match, contest, or exhibition which is not governed or authorized by one or more of the organizations listed in paragraph (1) of this Code section and:

(A) Has who has received or competed for or is receiving or competing for any cash as a salary, purse, or prize for participating in any match, contest, or exhibition;

(B) Is participating or has participated in any match, contest, or exhibition to which admission is granted upon payment of any ticket for admission or other evidence of the right of entry;

(C) Is participating or has participated in any match, contest, or exhibition which is or was filmed, broadcast, or transmitted for viewing; or

(D) Is participating or has participated in any match, contest, or exhibition which provides a commercial advantage by attracting persons to a particular place or promoting a commercial product or enterprise.

(15) 'Professional match, contest, or exhibition' means a match, contest, or exhibition which is not governed or authorized by one or more of the organizations listed in paragraph (1) of this Code section and:

(A) Rewards a participant with cash as a salary, purse, or prize for such participation;

(B) Requires for admission payment of a ticket for admission or other evidence of the right of entry;

(D) Provides a commercial advantage by attracting persons to a particular place or promoting a commercial product or enterprise.

(16) 'Promoter' means the person primarily responsible for organizing, promoting, and producing a professional match, contest, or exhibition and who is legally responsible for the lawful conduct of such professional match, contest, or exhibition."

"(20)(A) 'Unarmed combat' means any form of competition between human beings or one or more human beings and one or more animals in which:

(i) One or more blows are struck which may reasonably be expected to inflict injury on a human being; and

(ii) There is some compensation or commercial benefit arising from such competition, whether in the form of cash or noncash payment to the competitors or the person arranging the competition; the sale of the right to film, broadcast, transmit, or view the competition; or the use of the competition to attract persons to a particular location for some commercial advantage or to promote a commercial product or commercial enterprise.

Such term also means any amateur kickboxing match in which the competitors are not wearing protective gear.

(B) Unarmed combat shall include but shall not be limited to: tough man fights, bad man fights, nude boxing, nude wrestling, patron boxing, patron martial arts, and patron wrestling.

(i) Professional boxing licensed in accordance with this chapter;

(ii) Professional wrestling governed or authorized by an organization licensed or exempted from licensure in accordance with this chapter;

(iii) Amateur boxing governed or authorized by an organization listed in paragraph (1) of this Code section exempted in Code Section 43-4B-2;

(iv) Amateur wrestling governed or authorized by an organization listed in paragraph (1) of this Code section exempted in Code Section 43-4B-2;

(v) Any competition displaying the skills of a single form of an Oriental system of unarmed combative sports or unarmed combative entertainment, including, but not limited to, kickboxing, karate, or full-contact karate, that is held pursuant to the rules of that form and governed or authorized by an organization licensed by the commission in accordance with Article 4 of this chapter or exempted in Code Section 43-4B-2;

(vi) Shidokan when the competition is governed or authorized by an organization licensed by the commission in accordance with Article 4 of this chapter;

(vii) Mixed martial arts fighting when the competition is governed or authorized by an organization licensed by the commission in accordance with Article 4 of this chapter; or

(viii) Other martial arts competitions, when governed or authorized by an organization licensed by the commission in accordance with Article 4 of this chapter or exempted in Code Section 43-4B-2."

SECTION 2.

Said chapter is further amended by revising subsection (a) of Code Section 43-4B-2, relating to application of chapter, as follows:

"(a) The Subject to the provisions of Code Section 43-4B-53, the provisions of this chapter shall not be construed to apply to any match, contest, or exhibition of boxing, kickboxing, or a martial art, excluding mixed martial arts, that meets minimum safety standards, including, but not limited to, negative test results for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV and any other safety requirements as promulgated by commission rule or regulation:

(1) In which the contestants are all amateurs; and

(2) Which is governed or authorized by: