Code Section Group

Business and Professions Code - BPC

DIVISION 8. SPECIAL BUSINESS REGULATIONS [18400 - 22949.80]

  ( Division 8 added by Stats. 1941, Ch. 44. )

CHAPTER 2. Boxing, Wrestling, and Martial Arts [18600 - 18888.12]

  ( Heading of Chapter 2 renumbered from Chapter 8 by Stats. 1988, Ch. 160, Sec. 6. )

ARTICLE 1. Administration [18600 - 18618]
  ( Article 1 added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1092, Sec. 2. )

18600.
  

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Boxing Act or the State Athletic Commission Act.

Whenever a reference is made to the Boxing Act or the State Athletic Commission Act by the provisions of any statute, it is to be construed as referring to the provisions of this chapter.

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 465, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.)

18601.
  

The Legislature may amend, revise, or supplement any part of this chapter.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1092, Sec. 2.)

18602.
  

(a) Except as provided in this section, there is in the Department of Consumer Affairs the State Athletic Commission, which consists of seven members. Five members shall be appointed by the Governor, one member shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and one member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.

The members of the commission appointed by the Governor are subject to confirmation by the Senate pursuant to Section 1322 of the Government Code.

No person who is currently licensed, or who was licensed within the last two years, under this chapter may be appointed or reappointed to, or serve on, the commission.

(b) In appointing commissioners under this section, the Governor, the Senate Committee on Rules, and the Speaker of the Assembly shall make every effort to ensure that at least four of the members of the commission shall have experience and demonstrate expertise in one of the following areas:

(1) A licensed physician or surgeon having expertise or specializing in neurology, neurosurgery, head trauma, or sports medicine. Sports medicine includes, but is not limited to, physiology, kinesiology, or other aspects of sports medicine.

(2) Financial management.

(3) Public safety.

(4) Past experience in the activity regulated by this chapter, either as a contestant, a referee or official, a promoter, or a venue operator.

(c) Each member of the commission shall be appointed for a term of four years. All terms shall end on January 1. Vacancies occurring prior to the expiration of the term shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired term. No commission member may serve more than two consecutive terms.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, members first appointed shall be subject to the following terms:

(1) The Governor shall appoint two members for two years, two members for three years, and one member for four years.

(2) The Senate Committee on Rules shall appoint one member for four years.

(3) The Speaker of the Assembly shall appoint one member for four years.

(e) (1) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2025, and as of that date is repealed.

(2) Notwithstanding any other law, the repeal of this section renders the board subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 625, Sec. 95. (SB 1443) Effective January 1, 2023. Repealed as of January 1, 2025, by its own provisions.)

18602.1.
  

Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the State Athletic Commission in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions. Whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted, the protection of the public shall be paramount.

(Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 107, Sec. 37. Effective January 1, 2003.)

18602.5.
  

(a) The commission shall adopt and submit a strategic plan to the Governor and the Legislature on or before September 30, 2008. The commission shall also submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature on the status of the adoption of the strategic plan during the commission’s next regularly scheduled sunset review after January 1, 2007. The strategic plan shall include, but shall not be limited to, efforts to resolve prior State Athletic Commission deficiencies in the following areas:

(1) Regulation of the profession, what fees should be paid for this regulation, and the structure and equity of the fees charged.

(2) The effect and appropriateness of contracts made pursuant to Section 18828.

(3) Costs to train ringside physicians, referees, timekeepers, and judges.

(4) Steps that need to be taken to ensure sufficient sources of revenue and funding.

(5) Necessity for review and modification of organizational procedures, the licensing process, and the complaint process.

(6) Outdated information technology.

(7) Unorganized and improper accounting.

(8) Miscalculations at events, a lack of technology to record proper calculations, and funding issues.

(9) The health and safety of the participants and the public in attendance at events regulated under this chapter, including costs of examinations under Section 18711.

(b) The commission shall solicit input from the public, the State Auditor, the Little Hoover Commission, the Center for Public Interest Law, and others as necessary in preparing and adopting the strategic plan.

(c) The commission shall report on progress in implementing the strategic plan to the Director of Consumer Affairs, the Governor, and the Legislature on or before September 30, 2009.

(Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 465, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2007.)

18604.
  

The appointing authority may remove any member of the commission for causes specified in Section 106.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1092, Sec. 2.)

18605.
  

A majority of the appointed members of the commission constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The affirmative vote of a majority of those commissioners present at a meeting of the commission constituting at least a quorum is necessary to render a decision or pass a motion.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 26, Sec. 224. Effective March 30, 1994.)

18606.
  

The members of the commission shall elect one of their number as the chair and another member as the vice-chair. The chair and vice-chair shall be elected at the first meeting of each calendar year or when a vacancy exists.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1092, Sec. 2.)

18607.
  

Each member of the commission shall receive a per diem and necessary travel expenses as provided in Section 103.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1092, Sec. 2.)

18608.
  

The commission is subject to all of the provisions of Division 1 (commencing with Section 100) and for the purposes of that division shall be deemed to be a board, except for the purposes of Section 102 the commission shall not be deemed to be a board created by an initiative act.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1092, Sec. 2.)

18610.
  

The commission shall adopt a seal.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1092, Sec. 2.)

18611.
  

The commission shall adopt, amend, or repeal, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, rules and regulations as may be necessary to enable it to carry out the laws relating to boxing and the martial arts.

(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 757, Sec. 1.)

18613.
  

(a) (1) The commission shall appoint a person exempt from civil service who shall be designated as an executive officer and who shall exercise the powers and perform the duties delegated by the commission and vested in the executive officer by this chapter. The appointment of the executive officer is subject to the approval of the Director of Consumer Affairs.

(2) The commission may employ a chief athletic inspector. If the commission employs a chief athletic inspector, the chief athletic inspector shall exercise the powers and perform the duties delegated by the commission and authorized by the executive officer related to the regulation of events under this chapter.

(3) The commission may employ an assistant chief athletic inspector. If the commission employs an assistant chief athletic inspector, the assistant chief athletic inspector shall assist the chief athletic inspector in exercising the powers and performing the duties delegated by the commission and authorized by the executive officer related to the regulation of events under this chapter.

(4) The commission may employ in accordance with Section 154 other personnel as may be necessary for the administration of this chapter.

(b) (1) (A) Pursuant to Section 820.2 of the Government Code, the executive officer appointed pursuant to this section shall not be liable for discretionary acts taken while performing duties pursuant to this chapter.

(B) This paragraph is declaratory of existing law and does not constitute a change in existing law.

(2) The approval of contests and the assignment of officials for contests by the executive officer under this chapter shall be considered discretionary acts pursuant to Section 820.2 of the Government Code.

(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2025, and as of that date is repealed.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 177, Sec. 1. (AB 1813) Effective January 1, 2023. Repealed as of January 1, 2025, by its own provisions.)

18615.
  

No inspector shall be assigned to regulate an event under the authority or jurisdiction of the commission, who, within the preceding six months, has not participated in an inspectors’ clinic or received formal training, at which the laws and rules of the commission and related problems have been discussed. The commission is authorized to pay the necessary traveling expenses of an inspector while in attendance at the clinic or formal training.

(Added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1092, Sec. 2.)

18618.
  

The commission shall furnish to the Governor and the Legislature a report, on or before July 30, 2012, on the following:

(a) The condition of the State Athletic Commission Neurological Examination Account. This report shall include the amount of the assessment collected from each promoter pursuant to Section 18711, the purposes for which moneys in the account are expended, and findings and recommendations on the amounts, appropriateness, and effectiveness of these assessments. The report shall also include a recommendation on the viability and need for creating a medical database that would be used for identifying trends in medical records and data associated with injuries and deaths related to competing.

(b) The condition of the Boxers’ Pension Fund. This report shall include a recommendation on whether the fund should be continued and, if so, whether it should be expanded to include all athletes licensed under this chapter and appropriate fees paid into the fund.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 448, Sec. 31. (SB 543) Effective January 1, 2012.)

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