§ 6301. — Definitions.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC6301]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 89--PROFESSIONAL BOXING SAFETY
Sec. 6301. Definitions
For purposes of this chapter:
(1) Boxer
The term ``boxer'' means an individual who fights in a
professional boxing match.
(2) Boxing commission
(A) \1\ The term ``boxing commission'' means an entity
authorized under State law to regulate professional boxing matches.
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\1\ So in original. No subpar. (B) has been enacted.
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(3) Boxer registry
The term ``boxer registry'' means any entity certified by the
Association of Boxing Commissions for the purposes of maintaining
records and identification of boxers.
(4) Licensee
The term ``licensee'' means an individual who serves as a
trainer, second, or cut man for a boxer.
(5) Manager
The term ``manager'' means a person who receives compensation
for service as an agent or representative of a boxer.
(6) Matchmaker
The term ``matchmaker'' means a person that proposes, selects,
and arranges the boxers to participate in a professional boxing
match.
(7) Physician
The term ``physician'' means a doctor of medicine legally
authorized to practice medicine by the State in which the physician
performs such function or action.
(8) Professional boxing match
The term ``professional boxing match'' means a boxing contest
held in the United States between individuals for financial
compensation. Such term does not include a boxing contest that is
regulated by an amateur sports organization.
(9) Promoter
The term ``promoter'' means the person primarily responsible for
organizing, promoting, and producing a professional boxing match.
The term ``promoter'' does not include a hotel, casino, resort, or
other commercial establishment hosting or sponsoring a professional
boxing match unless--
(A) the hotel, casino, resort, or other commercial
establishment is primarily responsible for organizing,
promoting, and producing the match; and
(B) there is no other person primarily responsible for
organizing, promoting, and producing the match.
(10) State
The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States, Puerto Rico, the
District of Columbia, and any territory or possession of the United
States, including the Virgin Islands.
(11) Effective date of the contract
The term ``effective date of the contract'' means the day upon
which a boxer becomes legally bound by the contract.
(12) Boxing service provider
The term ``boxing service provider'' means a promoter, manager,
sanctioning body, licensee, or matchmaker.
(13) Contract provision
The term ``contract provision'' means any legal obligation
between a boxer and a boxing service provider.
(14) Sanctioning organization
The term ``sanctioning organization'' means an organization that
sanctions professional boxing matches in the United States--
(A) between boxers who are residents of different States; or
(B) that are advertised, otherwise promoted, or broadcast
(including closed circuit television) in interstate commerce.
(15) Suspension
The term ``suspension'' includes within its meaning the
revocation of a boxing license.
(Pub. L. 104-272, Sec. 2, Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3309; Pub. L. 106-210,
Sec. 7(a), May 26, 2000, 114 Stat. 327.)
Codification
Pub. L. 106-210, Sec. 7(a), which directed amendments to subsec. (a)
of this section, was executed as if it directed amendments to this
section rather than to subsec. (a) of this section to reflect the
probable intent of Congress because this section does not contain a
subsec. (a). See 2000 Amendment notes below.
Amendments
2000--Par. (9). Pub. L. 106-210, Sec. 7(a)(1), inserted last
sentence. See Codification note above.
Par. (10). Pub. L. 106-210, Sec. 7(a)(2), inserted ``, including the
Virgin Islands'' before the period at end. See Codification note above.
Pars. (11) to (15). Pub. L. 106-210, Sec. 7(a)(3), added pars. (11)
to (15). See Codification note above.
Effective Date
Pub. L. 104-272, Sec. 23, formerly Sec. 15, Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat.
3314, as renumbered Sec. 23 by Pub. L. 106-210, Sec. 4(1), May 26, 2000,
114 Stat. 322, provided that: ``The provisions of this Act [enacting
this chapter] shall take effect on January 1, 1997, except as follows:
``(1) Section 9 [now section 17, enacting section 6308 of this
title] shall not apply to an otherwise authorized boxing commission
in the Commonwealth of Virginia until July 1, 1998.
``(2) Sections 5 through 9 [enacting sections 6304 to 6308 of
this title] shall take effect on July 1, 1997.''
Short Title of 2000 Amendment
Pub. L. 106-210, Sec. 1, May 26, 2000, 114 Stat. 321, provided that:
``This Act [enacting sections 6307a to 6307h of this title, amending
this section and sections 6303, 6305, 6306, and 6308 to 6313 of this
title, and enacting and amending provisions set out as notes under this
section] may be cited as the `Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act'.''
Short Title
Section 1 of Pub. L. 104-272 provided that: ``This Act [enacting
this chapter] may be cited as the `Professional Boxing Safety Act of
1996'.''
Findings
Pub. L. 106-210, Sec. 2, May 26, 2000, 114 Stat. 321, provided that:
``The Congress makes the following findings:
``(1) Professional boxing differs from other major, interstate
professional sports industries in the United States in that it
operates without any private sector association, league, or
centralized industry organization to establish uniform and
appropriate business practices and ethical standards. This has led
to repeated occurrences of disreputable and coercive business
practices in the boxing industry, to the detriment of professional
boxers nationwide.
``(2) State officials are the proper regulators of professional
boxing events, and must protect the welfare of professional boxers
and serve the public interest by closely supervising boxing activity
in their jurisdiction. State boxing commissions do not currently
receive adequate information to determine whether boxers competing
in their jurisdiction are being subjected to contract terms and
business practices which may violate State regulations, or are
onerous and confiscatory.
``(3) Promoters who engage in illegal, coercive, or unethical
business practices can take advantage of the lack of equitable
business standards in the sport by holding boxing events in States
with weaker regulatory oversight.
``(4) The sanctioning organizations which have proliferated in
the boxing industry have not established credible and objective
criteria to rate professional boxers, and operate with virtually no
industry or public oversight. Their ratings are susceptible to
manipulation, have deprived boxers of fair opportunities for
advancement, and have undermined public confidence in the integrity
of the sport.
``(5) Open competition in the professional boxing industry has
been significantly interfered with by restrictive and
anticompetitive business practices of certain promoters and
sanctioning bodies, to the detriment of the athletes and the ticket-
buying public. Common practices of promoters and sanctioning
organizations represent restraints of interstate trade in the United
States.
``(6) It is necessary and appropriate to establish national
contracting reforms to protect professional boxers and prevent
exploitive business practices, and to require enhanced financial
disclosures to State athletic commissions to improve the public
oversight of the sport.''
Purposes of 2000 Amendment
Pub. L. 106-210, Sec. 3, May 26, 2000, 114 Stat. 322, provided that:
``The purposes of this Act [see Short Title of 2000 Amendment note
above] are--
``(1) to protect the rights and welfare of professional boxers
on an interstate basis by preventing certain exploitive, oppressive,
and unethical business practices;
``(2) to assist State boxing commissions in their efforts to
provide more effective public oversight of the sport; and
``(3) to promote honorable competition in professional boxing
and enhance the overall integrity of the industry.''
