5834955 Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Department of - Notice of Final Rulemaking - General rules on Boxing and Wrestling  

  • DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS

    DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BOXING AND WRESTLING COMMISSION

     

    NOTICE OF FINAL RULEMAKING

     

    The District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission (“Commission”), pursuant to the Authority set forth in Section 7 of the District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission Act of 1975, effective October 8, 1975 (D.C. Law 1-20; D.C. Official Code § 3-606 (2012 Repl.)) (“Act”), hereby gives notice of the intent to adopt, in not less than thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice in the D.C. Register, the following amendments to Chapter 20 (Boxing and Wrestling: General Rules), Chapter 21 (Boxing Events), Chapter 22 (Wrestling Events), Chapter 23 (Kickboxing Events), and Chapter 24 (Mixed Martial Arts Uniform Rules) of Title 19 (Amusements, Parks, and Recreation) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR).

     

    This rulemaking would update the boxing and wrestling licensing and event regulations to correct the terms of licensure, clarify the scopes of practice for licensed officials, and standardize licensure requirements for each category of licensure for boxing officials. In addition, this rulemaking would amend the restrictions on complimentary tickets provided by promoters for all boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts events held in the District.

     

    No comments were received and no changes were made to the rules as published in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on November 6, 2015 at 62 DCR 014340. The Chairperson of the District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission adopted these rules as final on December 11, 2015, and they shall become effective on the date of the publication of this notice in the D.C. Register.

     

    Chapter 20, BOXING AND WRESTLING: GENERAL RULES, of Title 19 DCMR, AMUSEMENTS, PARKS, AND RECREATION, is amended as follows:

     

    Section 2002, GENERAL LICENSING PROVISIONS, is amended to read as follows:

     

    2002                GENERAL LICENSING PROVISIONS

     

    2002.1                         The Commission shall issue licenses for the following participants in an event:

     

    (a)        Amateur boxer;

     

    (b)        Announcer;

     

    (c)        Inspector;

     

    (d)       Judge;

     

    (e)        Manager;

     

    (f)        Matchmaker;

     

    (g)        Physician;

     

    (h)        Professional boxer;

     

    (i)         Professional kickboxer;

     

    (j)         Professional mixed martial artist;

     

    (k)        Professional wrestler;

     

    (l)         Promoter;

     

    (m)       Referee;

     

    (n)        Second; and

     

    (o)        Timekeeper.

     

    2002.2             All licenses issued pursuant to this chapter and the Act shall expire on March 31 of each even numbered year, constituting a license cycle.

     

    Section 2012, REFEREE’S LICENSE, is amended to read as follows:

     

    2012                REFEREE’S LICENSE

     

    2012.1                         No person shall act as a referee for an event without a referee’s license issued pursuant to this chapter.

     

    2012.2                         Except as provided in § 2012.4, in order to be licensed as a referee, an applicant shall pass a written examination administered by the Commission which tests the applicant’s knowledge of the rules governing events of the type which the applicant is qualified to referee.

                           

    2012.3             To be eligible to sit for the examination required by § 2012.2, an applicant shall:

     

    (a)                Prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that he or she has obtained three (3) or more years of experience as a referee on the amateur level; or

     

    (b)               Prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that he or she has been:

     

    (1)               Actively engaged as a licensed inspector or licensed judge in the District or elsewhere for the three (3) years immediately preceding the date on which the application for a referee’s license is filed; and

     

    (2)               Certified by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) as having completed approved training for referees.

     

    2012.4             An applicant who is licensed and in good standing as a referee in a jurisdiction of the United States, or licensed by an appropriate licensing authority of a foreign jurisdiction, may be permitted to obtain a license in the District of Columbia without examination if the applicant proves, to the satisfaction of the Commission, that he or she has completed experience and examination requirements for licensure in the other jurisdiction that were substantially equivalent to the requirements of this section.

     

    2012.5             All applicants for licensure as a referee shall pass a medical examination conducted by a licensed physician approved by the Commission.

     

    2012.6                         An applicant for a license as a referee shall prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that he or she:

     

    (a)        Does not maintain, directly or indirectly, a financial or business interest in the management of a contestant;

     

    (b)        Is not an individual promoter; and

     

    (c)        Is not a stockholder or an employee of, and does not otherwise hold a financial or business interest in, a corporation, unincorporated club, partnership, or association that promotes contests under the purview of the Commission.

     

    2012.7             Persons licensed as referees in the District are deemed to have satisfied the experience and examination requirements for licensure as a timekeeper, inspector, and judge.  A licensed referee may be assigned by the Commission to serve as an official in any of these capacities.

     

    Section 2013, TIMEKEEPER’S LICENSE, is amended to read as follows:

     

    2013                TIMEKEEPER’S LICENSE

     

    2013.1                         No person shall act as a timekeeper for an event without a license as a timekeeper, inspector, judge, or referee issued pursuant to this chapter.

     

    2013.2             To be eligible for licensure as a timekeeper, an applicant shall:

     

    (a)        Prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that he or she has obtained at least four (4) months of experience as a timekeeper on the amateur level; or

     

    (b)               Prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that he or she is licensed and in good standing as a timekeeper in a jurisdiction of the United States or foreign territory, with requirements that are substantially equivalent to the requirements of this section.

     

    2013.3             An applicant for a license as a timekeeper shall prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that he or she:

     

    (a)        Does not maintain, directly or indirectly, a financial or business interest in the management of a contestant;

     

    (b)        Is not an individual promoter; and

     

    (c)        Is not a stockholder or an employee of, and does not otherwise hold a financial or business interest in, a corporation, unincorporated club, partnership, or association that promotes contests under the purview of the Commission.

     

    Section 2014, INSPECTOR’S LICENSE, is amended to read as follows:

     

    2014                INSPECTOR’S LICENSE

     

    2014.1                         No person shall act as an inspector for an event without a license as an inspector, judge, or referee issued pursuant to this chapter.

     

    2014.2             Except as provided in § 2014.4, in order to be licensed as an inspector, an applicant shall pass a written examination administered by the Commission which tests the applicant’s knowledge of the rules governing contests of the type for which the applicant is qualified to act as an inspector.

                           

    2014.3             To be eligible to sit for the examination required by § 2014.2, an applicant shall:

     

    (a)                Prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that he or she has obtained three (3) or more years of experience as an inspector on the amateur level; or

     

    (b)               Prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that he or she has been actively engaged as a licensed timekeeper in the District or elsewhere for the three (3) years immediately preceding the date on which the application for an inspector’s license is filed.

     

    2014.4             An applicant who is licensed and in good standing as an inspector in a jurisdiction of the United States, or licensed by an appropriate licensing authority of a foreign jurisdiction, may be permitted to obtain a license in the District of Columbia without examination if the applicant proves, to the satisfaction of the Commission, that he or she has completed experience and examination requirements for licensure in the other jurisdiction that were substantially equivalent to the requirements of this section.

                           

    2014.5                         An applicant for a license as an inspector shall prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that the inspector:

     

    (a)        Does not maintain, directly or indirectly, a financial or business interest in the management of a contestant;

     

    (b)        Is not an individual promoter; and

     

    (c)        Is not a stockholder or an employee of, and does not otherwise hold a financial or business interest in, a corporation, unincorporated club, partnership, or association that promotes contests under the purview of the Commission.

     

    Section 2016, JUDGE’S LICENSE, is amended to read as follows:

     

    2016                JUDGE’S LICENSE

     

    2016.1                         No person shall judge an event without a license as a judge or referee issued pursuant to this chapter.

     

    2016.2             Except as provided in § 2016.4, in order to be licensed as a judge, an applicant shall pass a written examination administered by the Commission which tests the applicant’s knowledge of the rules governing contests of the type for which the applicant is qualified to act as a judge.

                           

    2016.3             To be eligible to sit for the examination required by § 2016.2, an applicant shall:

     

    (a)                Prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that he or she has obtained three (3) or more years of experience as a judge on the amateur level; or

     

    (b)               Prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that he or she has been:

     

    (1)        Actively engaged as a licensed inspector in the District or elsewhere for the three (3) years immediately preceding the date on which the application for a judge’s license is filed; and

     

    (2)        Certified by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) as having completed approved training for boxing judges.

     

    2016.4             An applicant who is licensed and in good standing as a judge in a jurisdiction of the United States, or licensed by an appropriate licensing authority of a foreign jurisdiction, may be permitted to obtain a license in the District of Columbia without examination if the applicant proves, to the satisfaction of the Commission, that he or she has completed experience and examination requirements for licensure in the other jurisdiction that were substantially equivalent to the requirements of this section.

     

    2016.5             An applicant for a license as a judge shall prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that he or she:

     

    (a)        Does not maintain, directly or indirectly, a financial or business interest in the management of a contestant;

     

    (b)        Is not an individual promoter; and

     

    (c)        Is not a stockholder or an employee of, and does not otherwise hold a financial or business interest in, a corporation, unincorporated club, partnership, or association that promotes contests under the purview of the Commission.

     

    Chapter 21, BOXING EVENTS, is amended as follows:

     

    Section 2123, TICKETS, is amended to read as follows:

     

    2123                TICKETS

     

    2123.1             The promoter shall provide to the Commission, prior to the commencement of an event at which admission is charged, a manifest or report on the number, kind, and price of tickets printed for the contest.

     

    2123.2             Each ticket shall have the price, name of the promoter, date, and place of the event printed plainly on it.

     

    2123.3             No promoter shall sell a ticket at a price other than the price which appears on the ticket.

     

    2123.4             No promoter shall change a ticket price, or the place or date of an event, without the approval of the Commission.

     

    2123.5             Tickets of different prices shall be printed on cardstock of different colors.

     

    2123.6                         The total of all complimentary tickets to a contest shall not exceed six percent (6%) of the seating capacity of the venue.

     

    2123.7             Complimentary tickets may be designated as follows:

     

    (a)                A maximum of three percent (3%) of the tickets to a contest may be designated as complimentary for distribution to the general public, including, but not limited to, sponsors, friends and family members of the promoter, a contestant, or other participant.

     

    (b)               Additional tickets to a contest, up to the maximum limit established by § 2123.6, may be designated as complimentary for distribution to at-risk youth, active members of the military, veterans, and their family members.

     

    2123.8             The promoter of an event shall be subject to a penalty equaling five percent (5%) of the average ticket price, as determined by the Commission, for any complimentary tickets that exceed the maximum limits established by § 2123.6 and § 2123.7.

     

    2123.9             Each complimentary ticket shall be marked “Complimentary” and be clearly marked to reflect whether it has been designated as a military, youth, or general complimentary ticket.

     

    2123.10           No person, except members of the Metropolitan Police Department, the working press, Commission officials and employees, and official photographers who have been assigned to duty at an event, may be admitted without a ticket.

     

    2123.11           Each ticket collected at the gate shall be separated from the stub when an attendee enters through the admission gate.

     

    2123.12           All tickets collected at the gate shall be deposited in a locked box.

     

    2123.13           An official of the Commission shall check the number and location of ticket boxes at the gates, ensure that the ticket boxes are sealed and locked in accordance with § 2123.12, and open the ticket boxes and count the tickets after the event.

     

    2123.14           At each event, representatives of the promoter and the inspector assigned by the Commission shall supervise the gates and the gate receipts.

     

    2123.15                       After each event where an admission fee is charged, the promoter and the designated Commission official shall submit and sign a detailed report on the results of the contest, attendance, number of tickets sold at various prices, and total gate receipts.

     

    Chapter 22, WRESTLING EVENTS, is amended as follows:

     

    Section 2210, TICKETS, is amended to read as follows:

     

    2210                TICKETS

     

    2210.1             The promoter shall provide to the Commission, prior to the commencement of an event at which admission is charged, a manifest or report on the number, kind, and price of tickets printed for the contest.

     

    2210.2             Each ticket shall have the price, name of the promoter, date, and place of the event printed plainly on it.

     

    2210.3             No promoter shall sell a ticket at a price other than the price which appears on the ticket.

     

    2210.4             No promoter shall change a ticket price, or the place or date of an event, without the approval of the Commission.

     

    2210.5             Tickets of different prices shall be printed on cardstock of different colors.

     

    2210.6                         The total of all complimentary tickets to a contest shall not exceed six percent (6%) of the seating capacity of the venue.

     

    2210.7             Complimentary tickets may be designated as follows:

     

    (a)                A maximum of three percent (3%) of the tickets to a contest may be designated as complimentary for distribution to the general public, including, but not limited to, sponsors, friends and family members of the promoter, a contestant, or other participant.

     

    (b)               Additional tickets to a contest, up to the maximum limit established by §2210.6, may be designated as complimentary for distribution to at-risk youth, active members of the military, veterans, and their family members.

     

    2210.8             The promoter of an event shall be subject to a penalty equaling five percent (5%) of the average ticket price, as determined by the Commission, for any complimentary tickets that exceed the maximum limits established by § 2210.6 and § 2210.7.

     

    2210.9             Each complimentary ticket shall be marked “Complimentary” and be clearly marked to reflect whether it has been designated as a military, youth, or general complimentary ticket.

     

    2210.10           No person, except members of the Metropolitan Police Department, the working press, Commission officials and employees, and official photographers who have been assigned to duty at an event, may be admitted without a ticket.

     

    2210.11           Each ticket collected at the gate shall be separated from the stub when an attendee enters through the admission gate.

     

    2210.12           All tickets collected at the gate shall be deposited in a locked box.

     

    2210.13           An official of the Commission shall check the number and location of ticket boxes at the gates, ensure that the ticket boxes are sealed and locked in accordance with § 2210.12, and open the ticket boxes and count the tickets after the event.

     

    2210.14           At each event, representatives of the promoter and the inspector assigned by the Commission shall supervise the gates and the gate receipts.

     

    2210.15                       After each event where an admission fee is charged, the promoter and the designated Commission official shall submit and sign a detailed report on the results of the contest, attendance, number of tickets sold at various prices, and total gate receipts.

     

    Chapter 23, KICKBOXING EVENTS, is amended as follows:

     

    Section 2323, TICKETS, is amended to read as follows:

     

    2323                TICKETS

     

    2323.1             The promoter shall provide to the Commission, prior to the commencement of an event at which admission is charged, a manifest or report on the number, kind, and price of tickets printed for the contest.

     

    2323.2             Each ticket shall have the price, name of the promoter, date, and place of the event printed plainly on it.

     

    2323.3             No promoter shall sell a ticket at a price other than the price which appears on the ticket.

     

    2323.4             No promoter shall change a ticket price, or the place or date of an event, without the approval of the Commission.

     

    2323.5             Tickets of different prices shall be printed on cardstock of different colors.

     

    2323.6                         The total of all complimentary tickets to a contest shall not exceed six percent (6%) of the seating capacity of the venue.

     

    2323.7             Complimentary tickets may be designated as follows:

     

    (a)        A maximum of three percent (3%) of the tickets to a contest may be designated as complimentary for distribution to the general public, including, but not limited to, sponsors, friends and family members of the promoter, a contestant, or other participant.

     

    (b)        Additional tickets to a contest, up to the maximum limit established by § 2323.6, may be designated as complimentary for distribution to at-risk youth, active members of the military, veterans, and their family members.

     

    2323.8             The promoter of an event shall be subject to a penalty equaling five percent (5%) of the average ticket price, as determined by the Commission, for any complimentary tickets that exceed the maximum limits established by § 2323.6 and § 2323.7.

     

    2323.9             Each complimentary ticket shall be marked “Complimentary” and be clearly marked to reflect whether it has been designated as a military, youth, or general complimentary ticket.

     

    2323.10           No person, except members of the Metropolitan Police Department, the working press, Commission officials and employees, and official photographers who have been assigned to duty at an event, may be admitted without a ticket.

     

    2323.11           Each ticket collected at the gate shall be separated from the stub when an attendee enters through the admission gate.

     

    2323.12           All tickets collected at the gate shall be deposited in a locked box.

     

    2323.13           An official of the Commission shall check the number and location of ticket boxes at the gates, ensure that the ticket boxes are sealed and locked in accordance with § 2323.12, and open the ticket boxes and count the tickets after the event.

     

    2323.14           At each event, representatives of the promoter and the inspector assigned by the Commission shall supervise the gates and the gate receipts.

     

    2323.15                       After each event where an admission fee is charged, the promoter and the designated Commission official shall submit and sign a detailed report on the results of the contest, attendance, number of tickets sold at various prices, and total gate receipts.

     

    Chapter 24, MIXED MARTIAL ARTS UNIFORM RULES, is re-named and amended as follows:

     

    Chapter 24     MIXED MARTIAL ARTS EVENTS AND UNIFORM RULES

     

    Section 2418, [RESERVED], is amended as to read follows:

     

    2418                TICKETS

     

    2418.1             The promoter shall provide to the Commission, prior to the commencement of an event at which admission is charged, a manifest or report on the number, kind, and price of tickets printed for the contest.

     

    2418.2             Each ticket shall have the price, name of the promoter, date, and place of the event printed plainly on it.

     

    2418.3             No promoter shall sell a ticket at a price other than the price which appears on the ticket.

     

    2418.4             No promoter shall change a ticket price, or the place or date of an event, without the approval of the Commission.

     

    2418.5             Tickets of different prices shall be printed on cardstock of different colors.

     

    2418.6                         The total of all complimentary tickets to a contest shall not exceed six percent (6%) of the seating capacity of the venue.

     

    2418.7             Complimentary tickets may be designated as follows:

     

    (a)        A maximum of three percent (3%) of the tickets to a contest may be designated as complimentary for distribution to the general public, including, but not limited to, sponsors, friends and family members of the promoter, a contestant, or other participant.

     

    (b)        Additional tickets to a contest, up to the maximum limit established by § 2418.6, may be designated as complimentary for distribution to at-risk youth, active members of the military, veterans, and their family members.

     

    2418.8             The promoter of an event shall be subject to a penalty equaling five percent (5%) of the average ticket price, as determined by the Commission, for any complimentary tickets that exceed the maximum limits established by § 2418.6 and § 2418.7.

     

    2418.9             Each complimentary ticket shall be marked “Complimentary” and be clearly marked to reflect whether it has been designated as a military, youth, or general complimentary ticket.

     

    2418.10           No person, except members of the Metropolitan Police Department, the working press, Commission officials and employees, and official photographers who have been assigned to duty at an event, may be admitted without a ticket.

     

    2418.11           Each ticket collected at the gate shall be separated from the stub when an attendee enters through the admission gate.

     

    2418.12           All tickets collected at the gate shall be deposited in a locked box.

     

    2418.13           An official of the Commission shall check the number and location of ticket boxes at the gates, ensure that the ticket boxes are sealed and locked in accordance with § 2418.12, and open the ticket boxes and count the tickets after the event.

     

    2418.14           At each event, representatives of the promoter and the inspector assigned by the Commission shall supervise the gates and the gate receipts.

     

    2418.15                       After each event where an admission fee is charged, the promoter and the designated Commission official shall submit and sign a detailed report on the results of the contest, attendance, number of tickets sold at various prices, and total gate receipts.