SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 6264
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Labor, Commerce & Financial Institutions, January 29, 2002
Title: An act relating to chiropractors at boxing, kickboxing, and martial arts events.
Brief Description: Allowing a chiropractor to be a licensed official at a boxing, kickboxing, or martial arts event.
Sponsors: Senators Prentice and Kline.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Labor, Commerce & Financial Institutions: 1/15/02, 1/29/02 [DPS].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR, COMMERCE & FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6264 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Prentice, Chair; Keiser, Vice Chair; Franklin, Gardner, Hochstatter, Regala and Winsley.
Staff: Elizabeth Mitchell (786-7430)
Background: A professional boxing, kickboxing or martial arts event may not be held unless a licensed event physician is present throughout the event. Event physicians must examine boxing, kickboxing, and martial arts contestants within 24 hours before an event, and they have the authority to stop an event if they believe it will be dangerous for a contestant to continue. In addition, event physicians attend to the medical needs of contestants during an event. The promoter of the event pays the event physician's fees.
Currently, chiropractors are allowed to treat contestants during an event at the contestants' expense.
Summary of Substitute Bill: A chiropractor may be included as a licensed official at a kickboxing or martial arts event. Chiropractors for any kickboxing or martial arts event must be licensed by the Department of Licensing.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: A January 1, 2003 effective date is added
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 9, 2002.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect on January 1, 2003.
Testimony For: Injuries at matches are largely musculoskeletal and treatable by chiropractors. Chiropractors would not replace physicians but would be used in addition to physicians; the more medical professionals who are present at an event the better.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: PRO: Dr. Mark Webber, WA State Chiropractic Assn.; Mary Jelvik, DOL; Roy Silbert, WSCA.