Chapter 548 — Chapter 548
49 sections in this chapter.
Fla. Stat. § 548.001 Short title
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Sections 548.001-548.079 shall be known and may be cited as the “Joe Lang Kershaw Act.”
Fla. Stat. § 548.002 Definitions
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As used in this chapter, the term:(1) “Amateur” means a person who has never received nor competed for any purse or other article of value, either for the expenses of training or for participating in a match, other than a prize of $50 or less in value.(2) “Amateur sanctioning org…
Fla. Stat. § 548.003 Florida Athletic Commission
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(1) The Florida Athletic Commission is created and is assigned to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation for administrative and fiscal accountability purposes only. The commission shall consist of five members appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by …
Fla. Stat. § 548.004 Executive director; duties, compensation, administrative support
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(1) The department shall employ an executive director with the approval of the commission. The executive director shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary. The executive director or the executive director’s designee shall perform the duties specified by the commission, includ…
Fla. Stat. § 548.005 Oversight of the commission; long-range policy planning; plans, reports, and recommendations
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(1) The department shall exercise oversight of the activities of the commission to the extent necessary to facilitate the requirements of this section.(2) To facilitate efficient and cost-effective regulation, the commission and the department, where appropriate, shall develop an…
Fla. Stat. § 548.006 Power of commission to control professional and amateur boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts matches; certification of competitiveness of professional mixed martial arts and kickboxing matches
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(1) The commission has exclusive jurisdiction over every boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts match held within the state which involves a professional.(2) As to professional mixed martial arts and kickboxing, until a central repository of match records for each exists and …
Fla. Stat. § 548.0065 Amateur matches; sanctioning and supervision; health and safety standards; compliance checks; continuation, suspension, and revocation of sanctioning approval
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(1) No match involving amateurs which utilizes, but is not necessarily limited to, strikes or blows to the head may be held in this state unless it is sanctioned and supervised by an amateur sanctioning organization approved by the commission. An approved amateur sanctioning orga…
Fla. Stat. § 548.007 Exemptions
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This chapter does not apply to any of the following:(1) A match that does not allow full contact if the match is limited to amateur participants.(2) A match conducted or sponsored by a company or detachment of the Florida National Guard or the United States Armed Forces, if the m…
Fla. Stat. § 548.008 Prohibited competitions
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(1) No match involving amateurs which utilizes, but is not necessarily limited to, strikes or blows to the head may be held in this state unless it is sanctioned and supervised by an amateur sanctioning organization approved by the commission as required by this chapter.(2) No pr…
Fla. Stat. § 548.011 Power of commission to issue, withhold, suspend, or revoke licenses and permits
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The commission has exclusive jurisdiction to issue, withhold, suspend, or revoke any license or permit provided for in this chapter.
Fla. Stat. § 548.012 Promoter’s license
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(1) A promoter may not, directly or indirectly, promote any match involving a professional, unless the promoter has been issued a license therefor by the commission.(2) A violation of this section is a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 7…
Fla. Stat. § 548.014 Promoters; bonds or other security
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(1)(a) Before a license is issued or renewed to a promoter and before a permit is issued to a promoter, she or he must file a surety bond with the commission in a reasonable amount determined by the commission of at least $15,000.(b) All bonds must be upon forms approved and supp…
Fla. Stat. § 548.017 Participants, managers, and other persons required to have licenses
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(1) A participant, manager, trainer, second, referee, judge, physician, matchmaker, or promoter must be licensed before directly or indirectly acting in such capacity in connection with any match involving a participant. A physician approved by the commission must be licensed pur…
Fla. Stat. § 548.021 Applications for licenses and permits
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(1) An application for a license or a permit must:(a) Be in writing on a form supplied by the commission which shall contain the applicant’s social security number.(b) Be verified by the applicant.(c) Be complete and have attached to the application any photographs and other exhi…
Fla. Stat. § 548.022 Oral examinations
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The commission may require any applicant or any officer, director, employee, or stockholder of a corporate applicant, before taking action on her or his application, to appear before the commission for an oral examination, under oath, as to her or his qualifications.
Fla. Stat. § 548.024 Background investigation of applicants for licensure
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If the commission requires a background criminal history investigation of any applicant, it shall require the applicant to submit to the department fingerprints for this purpose. The fingerprints shall be forwarded to the Division of Criminal Justice Information Systems within th…
Fla. Stat. § 548.025 License fees
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The commission shall set license fees as follows:(1) Promoter, matchmaker—not to exceed $500.(2) Any other license—not to exceed $100. (1) Promoter, matchmaker—not to exceed $500. (2) Any other license—not to exceed $100.
Fla. Stat. § 548.026 Duration of license
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Each license shall expire on December 31 next following the date on which it was issued.
Fla. Stat. § 548.028 Refusal to issue license
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The commission shall not issue a license to:(1) Any person or business entity that has been convicted of any act, or that has a trustee, partner, officer, director, or owner that has been convicted of any act, that would constitute a violation of this chapter or would constitute …
Fla. Stat. § 548.032 Permit for program of matches
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In addition to a promoter’s license, a promoter must procure a permit for each program of matches before presenting that program. Each application for a permit shall specify the location and time of the program.
Fla. Stat. § 548.033 Local prohibiting ordinance
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A permit may not be issued for a match to be held within any political subdivision of this state that has adopted a local ordinance or resolution prohibiting such matches.
Fla. Stat. § 548.035 Permit fees
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The commission shall set permit fees for professional matches at $1,800 per event. For purposes of this section, an “event” is one or more matches comprising a show.
Fla. Stat. § 548.037 Admissions not to exceed seating capacity
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It is a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, for any promoter to sell or cause to be sold more tickets of admission for any match than can be accommodated by the seating capacity of the premises where the match is to be held.
Fla. Stat. § 548.041 Age, condition, and suspension of participants
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(1) A person may not be licensed as a participant, and the license of a participant shall be suspended or revoked, if such person:(a) Is under the age of 18;(b) Has participated in a match in this state which was not sanctioned by the commission or by a Native American commission…
Fla. Stat. § 548.042 Participation under fictitious name
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A person may not participate under a fictitious or assumed name in any match unless she or he has registered the name with the commission.
Fla. Stat. § 548.043 Weights and classes, limitations; gloves
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(1) The commission shall establish classes of participants based upon weights.(2) The commission shall establish by rule the acceptable difference in weight between participants; however, the maximum difference in weight in boxing matches shall not exceed 12 pounds, except matche…
Fla. Stat. § 548.046 Physician’s attendance at match; examinations; cancellation of match
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(1) The commission, or the commission representative, shall assign to each match at least one physician who shall observe the physical condition of the participants and advise the commissioner or commission representative in charge and the referee of the participants’ conditions …
Fla. Stat. § 548.047 Duty of licensee to disclose condition of participant
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A licensee shall disclose all information in her or his possession concerning any mental or physical disability, injury, illness, or incapacity of a participant in a match, immediately after learning thereof, to the commission, the deputy in charge, the attending physician, or th…
Fla. Stat. § 548.049 Medical, surgical, and hospital insurance; life insurance
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(1) The commission shall, by rule, require participants to be covered by not less than $20,000 of insurance for medical, surgical, and hospital care required as a result of injuries sustained while engaged in matches. The insured shall be the beneficiary of such policies. Any ded…
Fla. Stat. § 548.05 Control of contracts
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(1) The commission shall adopt rules governing the form and content of contracts executed in this state between managers and participants. All such contracts shall be in writing and shall contain all provisions specifically worded as required by rules of the commission. Contracts…
Fla. Stat. § 548.052 Payment of advances by promoter regulated
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A promoter may not pay, lend, or give a participant an advance against her or his purse before a contest, except with the prior written permission of the commission, the executive director, or the executive director’s designee; and, if permitted, such advance may be made only for…
Fla. Stat. § 548.053 Distribution of purses to participants; statements
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(1) Unless otherwise directed by a representative of the commission, all purses shall be distributed by the promoter no later than 24 hours after the match. A written statement showing the distribution of the purse, including each item of receipt and each expenditure or deduction…
Fla. Stat. § 548.054 Withholding of purses; hearing; disposition of withheld purse forfeiture
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(1) A member of the commission, the commission representative, or the referee may order a promoter to surrender to the commission any purse or other funds payable to a participant, or to withhold the share of any manager, if it appears that:(a) The participant is not competing ho…
Fla. Stat. § 548.056 Prohibited financial interests in participant; penalties
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(1) A member of the commission; an employee of the commission; a referee or judge licensed by the commission; or an attending physician may not have any direct or indirect financial or pecuniary interest in any participant.(2)(a) A manager, trainer, or second of any participant s…
Fla. Stat. § 548.057 Attendance of referee and judges at match; scoring; seconds
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(1) At each boxing match involving a participant, except at an exhibition held solely for training purposes, at the expense of the promoter, a referee designated by the commission shall direct and control the match.(2) At each contest, at the expense of the promoters, three judge…
Fla. Stat. § 548.058 Sham or collusive contest prohibited
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(1) No person shall knowingly conduct, participate in, or be connected with a match which is represented to be a contest if one or both of the participants does not use her or his best efforts and skill or does not strive earnestly to win; if the result thereof has been prearrang…
Fla. Stat. § 548.06 Payments to state; exemptions; audit of records
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(1) Except as provided in subsection (5), a promoter holding a match shall, within 72 hours after the match, file with the commission a written report that includes the number of tickets sold, the amount of gross receipts, and any other facts the commission may require. For the p…
Fla. Stat. § 548.062 Public records exemption
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(1) As used in this section, the term “proprietary confidential business information” means information that:(a) Is owned or controlled by the promoter;(b) The promoter intends to be and treats as private;(c) If disclosed, would cause harm to the promoter or its business operatio…
Fla. Stat. § 548.064 Destruction of ticket or ticket stub
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It is a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, for any promoter or person associated with or employed by any promoter to destroy any ticket to a match or any ticket stub, whether sold or unsold, within 6 months after the date of the …
Fla. Stat. § 548.066 Ticket refunds
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(1) Upon the postponement, substitution of either participant, or cancellation of the main event or the entire program of matches, the promoter shall refund the full purchase price of a ticket to each person presenting a ticket for a refund within 30 days after the scheduled date…
Fla. Stat. § 548.069 Age of spectators
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A person under 16 years of age may not attend a match unless such person is accompanied by an adult or unless the exhibition is of amateur status.
Fla. Stat. § 548.07 Suspension of license or permit by commissioner; hearing
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(1) The commission, the executive director, or the executive director’s designee may issue an emergency suspension order pursuant to s. 120.60(6) suspending the license of a person or entity licensed under this chapter who poses an immediate, serious danger to the health, safety,…
Fla. Stat. § 548.071 Suspension or revocation of license or permit by commission
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The commission may suspend or revoke a license or permit if the commission finds that the licensee or permittee:(1) Is guilty of violating this chapter or the rules of the commission.(2) Has committed fraud or deceit in securing any license or permit.(3) Has been convicted of, ha…
Fla. Stat. § 548.073 Commission hearings
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All hearings held under this chapter shall be held in accordance with chapter 120.
Fla. Stat. § 548.074 Power to administer oaths, take depositions, and issue subpoenas
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For the purpose of any investigation or proceeding conducted pursuant to this chapter, the department shall have the power to administer oaths, take depositions, make inspections when authorized by statute, issue subpoenas which shall be supported by affidavit, serve subpoenas an…
Fla. Stat. § 548.075 Administrative fines; citations
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(1) The commission may impose a fine of not more than $5,000 for any violation of this chapter in lieu of or in addition to any other punishment provided for such violation.(2) The commission may adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to permit the issuance of citation…
Fla. Stat. § 548.076 Cease and desist notices
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When the department has probable cause to believe that any person not licensed by the commission has violated any provision of this chapter, or any rule adopted pursuant thereto, the department may issue and deliver to such person a notice to cease and desist from such violation.…
Fla. Stat. § 548.077 Florida Athletic Commission; collection and disposition of moneys
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All fees, fines, forfeitures, and other moneys collected under the provisions of this chapter shall be paid by the commission to the Chief Financial Officer who, after the expenses of the commission are paid, shall deposit them in the Professional Regulation Trust Fund to be used…
Fla. Stat. § 548.079 Misdemeanors
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Unless otherwise specified, any person convicted of any offense set forth in this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.