SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 553
90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR SINGLETON.
Pre-filed December 1, 1999, and 1,000 copies ordered printed.
TERRY L. SPIELER, Secretary.
2690S.01I
AN ACT
To repeal section 317.001, RSMo Supp. 1999, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to health insurance for professional boxers.
Section A. Section 317.001, RSMo Supp. 1999, is repealed and two new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 317.001 and 317.019, to read as follows:
317.001. As used in sections 317.001 to 317.021, the following words and terms mean:
(1) "Bout", one match involving either professional boxing, sparring, professional wrestling, professional kickboxing or professional full-contact karate;
(2) "Combative fighting", also known as "toughman fighting", "toughwoman fighting", "badman fighting", "ultimate fighting", "U.F.C." and "extreme fighting", any boxing or wrestling match, contest or exhibition, between two or more contestants, with or without protective headgear, who use their hands, with or without gloves, or their feet, or both, and who compete for a financial prize or any item of pecuniary value, and which match, contest, tournament championship or exhibition is not recognized by and not sanctioned by any officially recognized state, regional or national boxing or athletic sanctioning authority, or any promoter duly licensed by the department of economic development;
(3) "Contest", a bout or a group of bouts involving licensed contestants competing in professional boxing, sparring, professional wrestling, professional kickboxing or professional full-contact karate;
(4) "Contestant", a person who competes in any activity covered by sections 317.001 to 317.021;
(5) "Department", the department of economic development;
(6) "Director", the director of the department of economic development;
(7) "Fund", the athletic fund established pursuant to sections 317.001 to 317.021;
(8) "Mandatory count of eight", a required count of eight that is given by a referee to a contestant who has been knocked down;
(9) "Noncompetitive boxing", boxing or sparring where a decision is not rendered;
(10) "Office", the department of economic development, division of professional registration, office of athletics;
(11) "Professional boxing", the sport of attack and defense which uses the fist and where contestants compete for valuable consideration;
(12) "Professional boxing promoter", any person, association, partnership, corporation or organization that holds a license or permit to organize, promote and produce professional boxing contests;
(13) "Professional full-contact karate", any form of full-contact martial arts including but not limited to full-contact kungfu, full-contact taw kwon-do, or any form of martial arts or self-defense conducted on a full-contact basis in a bout or contest where weapons are not used and where contestants compete for valuable consideration. Such contests take place in a rope-enclosed ring and are fought in timed rounds;
[(13)] (14) "Professional kickboxing", any form of boxing in which blows are delivered with any part of the arm below the shoulder, including the hand, and any part of the leg below the hip, including the foot, and where contestants compete for valuable consideration. Such contests take place in a rope-enclosed ring and are fought in timed rounds;
[(14)] (15) "Professional wrestling", any performance of wrestling skills and techniques by two or more professional wrestlers, to which any admission is charged. Participating wrestlers may not be required to use their best efforts in order to win, the winner may have been selected before the performance commences and contestants compete for valuable consideration. Such contests take place in a rope-enclosed ring and are fought in timed rounds;
[(15)] (16) "Sparring", boxing for practice or as an exhibition;
[(16)] (17) "Standing mandatory eight count", the count of eight that is given at the discretion of a referee to a contestant who has been dazed by a blow and is unable to defend himself or herself. The standing mandatory eight count may be waived in a bout only with special permission of the office.
317.019. The department shall not issue any license or permit to a professional boxing promoter unless the promoter files proof of insurance not less than one hundred thousand dollars for each contestant participating in a professional boxing contest. This insurance shall cover:
(1) Hospital, medication, physician and other such expenses as would accrue in the treatment of an injury as a result of the boxing contest; and
(2) Payment to the estate of the contestant in the event of his or her death as a result of his or her participation in the boxing contest.