STAND. COM. REP. NO. 664

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1712

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1712, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MIXED MARTIAL ARTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a new regulatory program to oversee mixed martial arts contests.

 

     Specifically, this measure:

 

     (1)  Requires all persons involved in mixed martial arts contests, including contestants, promoters, managers, seconds, physicians, referees, and judges, to be licensed by the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs;

 

     (2)  Provides for the revocation or suspension of any licenses issued;

 

     (3)  Establishes limits on the number of rounds and the duration of rounds in each mixed martial arts contest;

 

     (5)  Requires each mixed martial arts contest to have a permit to be held;

 

     (6)  Establishes a fee for each mixed martial arts contest;

 

     (7)  Requires the presence of at least two licensed physicians to be in attendance at each mixed martial arts contest;

 

     (8)  Provides for the imposition of penalties for violation;

 

     (9)  Repeals chapter 440D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to no rules combat and similar contests; and

 

    (10) Makes an appropriation for the implementation and operation of the new mixed martial arts regulatory program.

 

     Your Committee received comments from the Auditor in strong support of this measure.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, offered its comments.

 

     Your Committee notes that the number of contestants, spectators, and unregulated contests involving mixed martial arts has been steadily increasing in the State.  This heavy contact sport has the potential to result in extensive harm to its contestants and needs to be regulated for the protection of the contestants, spectators, and the general public.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Specifying that the appropriation in this measure is for the implementation of the regulatory program and for the establishment of an unspecified number of staff positions; and

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date of this measure to provide that sections 1 and 2 of this measure shall become effective on July 1, 2009; provided that section  -6 of section 1 shall take effect upon approval and section 3 shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1712, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1712, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair