H. B. 2606
(By Delegates Preece and H. White)
[Introduced March 16, 1993; referred to the
Committee on Government Organization.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section three, article five-a,
chapter twenty-nine of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to
amateur boxing.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section three, article five-a, chapter twenty-nine of
the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one,
as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5A. STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION.
§29-5A-3. Commission to have sole control of boxing, etc.,
matches; licenses; municipality not to tax boxing,
etc., club.
(a) The commission shall have and hereby is vested with the
sole direction, management and control of the jurisdiction over
all amateur and professional boxing, sparring matches and
exhibitions, or any form thereof, to be conducted, held or given
within the state by any club, individual, corporation orassociation; and no professional boxing, sparring or exhibition
shall be conducted, held or given within the state except
pursuant to its authority and held in accordance with this
article. Amateur boxing is hereby removed from the jurisdiction
of the state athletic commission. The commission may, in its
discretion, issue and, at its pleasure, revoke the license to
conduct, hold or give professional boxing or sparring matches or
exhibitions to any club, corporation, association or individual.
Every license shall be subject to such rules and regulations and
amendments thereto as the commission may prescribe. Every
application for a license, as herein provided for, shall be on a
blank form provided by the commission. No promoter's license
shall be granted to any club, corporation, association or
individual, unless the signer of the application be a bona fide
resident of the state of West Virginia. Upon application of such
promoter's license, the promoter shall pay a state license fee of
one hundred twenty-five dollars for one year. Such fee shall be
in the form of a certified check or money order and shall be
issued to the treasurer of the state of West Virginia to be
deposited in the general fund. Should such license not be
granted, the treasurer shall refund the full amount. Nonprofit
chartered and charitable organizations shall be exempt from this
license fee for all amateur events. No municipal corporation
shall impose any license tax on such boxing, sparring or
exhibition clubs, notwithstanding the provisions of any section
of the code respecting municipal taxes and licenses. Thegranting of such license to such club by the commission, or the
holding of such license by such club, individual, corporation or
association, shall not prevent the commission from canceling or
revoking the license to conduct such an event, as hereinbefore
provided.
(b) In exercising its jurisdiction over amateur boxing,
sparring matches and exhibitions, the commission shall follow the
current United States boxing authority rules and requirements to
enable the proper sanctioning of all participants, referees,
judges and matches or exhibitions conducted under the rules
described in subdivision (1), subsection (c), section twenty-four
of this article and shall cooperate fully with said boxing
authority in order that said sanctioning be extended to state
boxers.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to remove amateur boxing
from the jurisdiction of the state athletic commission.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.