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ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 5667

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State of Washington 56th Legislature 1999 Regular Session

By Senators West and Heavey

Read first time 02/01/1999. Referred to Committee on Commerce, Trade, Housing & Financial Institutions.

AN ACT Relating to boxing, kickboxing, martial arts, and wrestling; and amending RCW 67.08.050 and 67.08.015.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 67.08.050 and 1999 c 282 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any promoter shall within seven days prior to the holding of any event file with the department a statement setting forth the name of each licensee who is a potential participant, his or her manager or managers, and such other information as the department may require. Participant changes regarding a wrestling event may be allowed after notice to the department, if the new participant holds a valid license under this chapter. The department may stop any wrestling event in which a participant is not licensed under this chapter.

(2) Upon the termination of any event the promoter shall file with the designated department representative a written report, duly verified as the department may require showing the number of tickets sold for the event, the price charged for the tickets and the gross proceeds thereof, and such other and further information as the department may require. The promoter shall pay to the department at the time of filing the report under this section a tax equal to five percent of such gross receipts. However, the tax may not be less than twenty-five dollars. The five percent of such gross receipts shall be immediately paid by the department into the state general fund.

(3) A complimentary ticket may not have a face value of less than the least expensive ticket available for sale to the general public. The number of untaxed complimentary tickets shall be limited to ((~~five~~)) ten percent of the total tickets sold per event location, not to exceed ((~~three hundred~~)) one thousand tickets. All complimentary tickets exceeding this exemption shall be subject to taxation.

Sec. 2. RCW 67.08.015 and 1999 c 282 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) In the interest of ensuring the safety and welfare of the participants, the department shall have power and it shall be its duty to direct, supervise, and control all boxing, martial arts, and wrestling events conducted within this state and an event may not be held in this state except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. The department may, in its discretion, issue and for cause, which includes concern for the safety and welfare of the participants, deny, revoke, or suspend a license to promote, conduct, or hold boxing, kickboxing, martial arts, or wrestling events where an admission fee is charged by any person, club, corporation, organization, association, or fraternal society.

(2) All boxing, kickboxing, martial arts, or wrestling events that:

(a) Are conducted by any common school, college, or university, whether public or private, or by the official student association thereof, whether on or off the school, college, or university grounds, where all the participating contestants are bona fide students enrolled in any common school, college, or university, within or without this state; or

(b) Are entirely amateur events promoted on a nonprofit basis or for charitable purposes;

are not subject to the licensing provisions of this chapter. A boxing, martial arts, kickboxing, or wrestling event may not be conducted within the state except under a license issued in accordance with this chapter and the rules of the department except as provided in this section.

(3) The director shall prohibit events unless all of the contestants are either licensed under this chapter or trained by an amateur or professional sanctioning body recognized by the department.