BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON
BUSINESS, PROFESSIONS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Senator Jerry Hill, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: SB 587 Hearing Date: January 11,
2016
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|Author: |Stone |
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|Version: |January 4, 2016 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant|Sarah Mason |
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Subject: The State Athletic Commission
SUMMARY: Requires the California State Athletic Commission to establish
a task force to evaluate the impacts of weight cutting,
dehydration and rapid rehydration.
Existing law:
1) The Boxing Act, or State Athletic Commission Act (State Act),
provides for the licensing and regulation of boxers,
kickboxers, martial arts athletes and events held in
California by the California State Athletic Commission
(Commission) within the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)
and makes the Commission inoperative and repealed on January
1, 2020. (Business and Professions Code (BPC) § 18600 et
seq.)
2) Establishes an Advisory Committee on Medical and Safety
Standards (MAC) consisting of six licensed physicians
appointed by the Commission which meets for the purpose of
studying and recommending medical and safety standards for
the conduct of boxing, wrestling and martial arts contests.
(BPC § 18645)
3) Requires a licensed physician approved by the commission with
at least three years of experience in the practice of
medicine to be present at all Commission regulated events.
Requires the physician present at an event to perform the
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physical examination of the contestants and observe the
physical condition of the contestants during the event. (BPC
§ 18705)
4) Requires the physician above to conduct a physical
examination, not later than at the time of weigh-in, of the
contestant and certify in writing as to the contestant's
physical condition to engage in the contest or match.
Specifies that the weigh-in time shall not be more than 30
hours prior to the beginning of the first event.
(BPC § 18706)
5) Requires a contestant to complete a questionnaire developed
by the Commission on which he or she is asked to disclose any
conditions, including, but not limited to significant weight
gain or loss and any change in weight in the seven days prior
to the contest. (Id.)
6) Requires the Commission to establish by rule the weight
spreads and classes of contestants. (BPC § 18728)
7) Requires the Commission, by rule and regulation, to prescribe
the length and duration of professional and amateur
kickboxing and martial arts contests, the weight
classifications, the manner in which the contestants engage
in such contests and such further safeguards and conditions
as shall insure fair, sportsmanlike, and scientific contests.
(BPC § 18765)
8) Establishes nine weights and classes, including the range of
pounds in each class and specifies that no contest shall be
scheduled and no contestant engage in a contest where the
weight difference exceeds the allowance outlined in
regulation. (4 CCR §298)
This bill:
1) Requires the Commission to establish a task force to evaluate
the impacts of weight cutting, dehydration, and rapid
rehydration. Authorizes the task force to be comprised of
physicians and surgeons with expertise in dehydration and
rapid rehydration and boxing and mixed martial arts
stakeholders, including licensees.
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2) Requires the task force, in evaluating impacts of weight
cutting, dehydration and rapid rehydration to consider the
dangers of certain practices athletes undergo prior to
weighing in before an event. Authorizes the task force to
provide recommendations to the Commission that include, but
are not limited to, proper techniques to detect dehydration,
outreach the Commission can undertake to educate licensees
about dehydration and rapid rehydration and the
appropriateness of Commission weight classifications.
FISCAL
EFFECT: Unknown. This bill is keyed fiscal by Legislative
Counsel.
COMMENTS:
1. Purpose. The Author is the Sponsor of this measure.
According to the Author, while the Athletic Commission has
taken important first steps to deter dangerous practices that
can impact fighter well-being by issuing safety notices and
convening stakeholder meetings, extreme weight cutting
measures are still being undertaken on a regular basis. A
dedicated focus on this specific issue, through the work of a
task force, can be a very helpful tool in the protection and
promotion of athletes' health and safety. The Author is
concerned about multiple reports of combat sport athlete
injuries, health problems and even deaths related to
dangerous steps they take to lose a large amount of weight
leading up to a mandatory weigh-in, which often includes heat
and sweating efforts to quickly lose weight, and the
subsequent rapid rehydration and weight gain activities they
then undergo leading up to the actual event.
2. Background. Significant and dangerous weight loss efforts
leading up to a fighter's weigh-in before an event can result
in dehydration and other negative health impacts like
decreased kidney function and increased risk of brain injury,
and can also hinder a fighter's performance in the event.
The practice of losing a large amount of weight in a short
period of time prior to a weigh-in, then gaining weight back
in the 24 hours leading up to a fight, can also affect the
outcome of a fight.
Despite the requirement under current law for contestants to
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disclose "significant weight gain or loss and any change in
weight in the seven days prior to the contest", this
information is rarely if ever provided to the Commission.
Extreme weight cutting by combat sport athletes is a problem
that the Commission has sought to curb, as reported to this
Committee through the Sunset Review oversight process. The
Commission conducted a study on over 500 licensees and
determined that weight cutting was prevalent amongst these
athletes. As a means of preventing extreme weight-cutting
for combat sports athletes, the Commission has taken steps to
deter this dangerous practice. The Commission is working on
altering its weigh-in procedures and requirements as well as
implementing a progressive disciplinary system that applies
to all licensees, including, but not limited to, promoters
and trainers. The Commission also recently issued a
memorandum created in partnership with the Association of
Ringside Physicians outlining the dangers of extreme
weight-cutting, citing a 2013 study published in the Journal
of Strength & Conditioning Research that found that 39
percent of mixed martial arts fighters were dehydrated at the
time of their events. The Commission memorandum advised
fighters that, among other dangers of cutting their weight
and dehydrating themselves, there are at increased risks of
brain bleeds and concussion. The memorandum also encouraged
athletes not to use extreme methods for making weight such as
excessive heat methods (rubberized suits, steam rooms,
saunas), excessive intense bouts of exercise, vomiting,
laxatives and diuretics as well as not using dehydration as a
mainstay of making weight due to other risks associated with
improper rehydration techniques.
SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION:
Support: None on file as of January 6, 2016.
Opposition: None on file as of January 6, 2016.
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