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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Author: |Stone | |----------+------------------------------------------------------| |Version: |January 4, 2016 | ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- |Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes | ---------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Consultant|Sarah Mason | |: | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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Commission (Commission) within the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) and makes the Commission inoperative and repealed on January 1, 2020.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 SB 587 (Stone) Page 2 of ? 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. SB 587 (Stone) Page 3 of ? 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 SB 587 (Stone) Page 4 of ? 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. -- END --