Doug Hardin, Staff Attorney, Kentucky Boxing & Wrestling Commission Phone: (502) 782-8204 Email: doug.hardin@ky.gov

This regulation establishes general requirements for licensing and establishes application fees for various licensing applications.

This regulation is necessary so that the Boxing & Wrestling Commission may establish licensing standards and fee schedules for unarmed combat shows in Kentucky, which are authorized pursuant to KRS 229.025.

KRS 229.025 authorizes and requires the Commission to promulgate administrative regulations for licensing participants, officials, and physicians for unarmed combat shows.

The Boxing & Wrestling Commission is charged with the responsibility of licensing and regulating unarmed combat shows. This administrative regulation establishes the process and forms necessary for licensure of participants, officials, and physicians. The regulation further establishes standards for compensation, pre-fight procedures, ring size, equipment and attire, weight classes, fight length, judging and scoring, and insurance.

This amendment reflects changes made to license application forms and new forms. These amendments will also increase the application fee for all license applications except for promoter licenses from $25 to $40, plus a $10 processing fee for applications that are not submitted electronically.

The commission created separate application forms for wrestlers apart from the form used for boxers and mixed martial artists, which were formerly contained on the same application form. Similarly, the commissioner has created a separate license application form for referees apart from other non-contestant application forms. The increase in license application fees was necessary to ensure that the Commission continues to have an adequate source of revenue to continue to meet its operational expenses and to ensure that Kentucky’s fees are comparable to fees charged for similar licenses in other jurisdictions.

These amendments conform to the content of the authorizing statute because this regulation sets forth licensing requirements as permitted by KRS 229.025

The separate application forms are intended to be more user-friendly for applicants and aid the Commission in more efficiently reviewing and processing applications. The increase in license application fees was necessary to ensure that the Commission continues to have an adequate source of revenue to continue to meet its operational expenses

As of February 2023, the Boxing & Wrestling Commission licenses and regulates over 800 licensees that will be affected by this administrative regulation, as follows: •Over 679 licensed contestants (includes boxers, kickboxers, amateur missed martial artists, professional mixed martial artists, and wrestlers); •Over 185 licensed non-contestants (includes judges, trainers, managers, referees, timekeepers, and seconds); •Over 6 licensed medical providers (includes physicians and healthcare professionals); and •Over 40 licensed promoters

Individuals applying for licensure as a wrestler or referee will have new forms specific to the license for which they are applying. All applicants except promoters will see an increase in the application fee from $25 to $40 with a $10 processing fee for applications that are not submitted electronically.

For every license type except promoter, the application fee is $40 with an additional $10 processing fee for applications that are not submitted electronically. This is an increase from the $25 fee that the Commission currently charges these applicants. The application fee for promoters is $300.

Applicants that successfully complete and submit these applications who meet qualification standards will receive licenses to participate in unarmed combat events.

There will be no additional cost to the Commission to implement this administrative regulation initially.

There will be no additional cost to the Commission to implement this administrative regulation on a continuing basis.

There is no additional funding necessary to implement this amendment to the administrative regulation.

Although this amendment increases fees for license applications, the implementation of this administrative regulation requires no increase in fees or funding. The compensation required by this amendment is paid by licensed promoters.

These amendments will increase the application fee for all license applications except for promoter licenses from $25 to $40, plus a $10 processing fee for applications that are not submitted electronically.

(Explain why or why not): For every license type except promoter, the application fee is $40, plus a $10 processing fee for applications that are not submitted electronically. The application fee for promoters is $300.

The Kentucky Boxing & Wrestling Commission is the agency responsible for implementing this regulation.

KRS 229.025, 229.031, 229.055, 229.111, 229.131, 229.155, 229.171, 15 U.S.C. 6304, 6305(a), (b)

This administrative regulation imposes license application fees on applicants, which is used

This administrative regulation is not intended to generate revenue for any state or local government agency.

There is no cost to administer this administrative regulation for the first year.

There is no cost to administer this administrative regulation for subsequent years.

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This administrative regulation amendment is not intended and not likely to result in cost savings for regulated entities This regulation will increase application fees for regulated entities.

This administrative regulation is not intended to generate cost savings for regulated entities in the first year.

The application fee for all licensees other than promoters will increase from $25 to $40, plus a $10 processing fee for applications not submitted through the Commission’s website.

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"Major economic impact" means an overall negative or adverse economic impact from an administrative regulation of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or more on state or local government or regulated entities, in aggregate, as determined by the promulgating administrative bodies. [KRS 13A.010(13)]. This administrative regulation is not intended or anticipated to have a major economic impact as defined by KRS 13A.010(13). SUMMARY OF MATERIAL INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN 201 KAR 27.008 The following material is incorporated by reference in 201 KAR 27:008 “Boxing-MMA Contestant Application”, June 2023; licensure form for contestants that intend to participate in boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts; two (2) page form; “Wrestler Application”, June 2023; licensure form for contestants that intend to participate in wrestling shows; two (2) page form; “Non-Contestant Application,” June 2023; licensure form for contestants that intend to participate in wrestling shows; two (2) page form; "Promoter Application", June 2023; licensure form for individuals that intend to promote boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, or wrestling shows; three (3) page form; “Medical Provider Application”, June 2023; licensure form for individuals that intend to serve as medical providers for boxing, wrestling, and mixed martial arts. “Physical Report”, June 2023; examination form to be completed by a medial provider to indicate whether an applicant is medically fit to compete in a boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, or mixed martial arts event; four (4) page form; “Promoter Bond Form”, June 2023; form to be used by a promoter certifying that the promoter has filed a bond of $10,000 for the event that is being promoted, as required by KRS 229.035; two (2) page form; “Boxer’s Federal Identification Card Application”, June 2023; form used to obtain a federal identification card for professional boxing, which is required by federal law in order to participate in professional boxing; three (3) page form; and “Referee Application”, June 2023; licensure form for individuals that intend to participate as referees in boxing, wrestling, or mixed martial arts; two (2) page form. SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO MATERIAL INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE “Boxing-MMA Contestant Application”, June 2023. This is a two (2) page form that the Commission is authorized to develop pursuant to KRS 229.025 and 229.171. The form has been reformatted to make it more user-friendly. Additionally, the provisions related to wrestling were removed and included in a separate form, and the option to apply as an elimination event contestant was removed. The form now only requires the applicant to provide the last four digits of a Social Security Number, rather than all nine digits. It requires only one field for a phone number instead of having separate lines for home and work phone numbers, and it removes lines for the applicant’s occupation, employer, employer address, and the name of the promotion under which the applicant will be working or training. The form now includes a field for an applicant to submit a “ring name,” or a pseudonym to a be used in competition. Information related to the applicant’s competition history has been modified: the form now requires the applicant to submit both his or her amateur and professional record and the date the last time the contestant was knocked out, but it no longer requires the name of the applicant’s previous opponent. The form also replaces the seal at the top with an updated PPC logo. The form also reflects the updated application fee. “Wrestler Application”, June 2023. This is a two (2) page form that the Commission is authorized to develop pursuant to KRS 229.025 and 229.171. The form has been reformatted to make it more user-friendly. Previously the Commission used one form for all contestants, but now requires separate forms for wrestler applicants. Information on the previous contestant form that is not relevant to wrestlers, such as most recent knock out date, and won-lost record has been removed. The form also reflects the updated application fee. “Non-Contestant Application,” June 2023. This is a two (2) page form that the Commission is authorized to develop pursuant to KRS 229.025 and 229.171. The provisions related to referee applicants have been removed and included in a separate application specifically for referees. The updated form adds a line for “wrestling manager,” removes lines for home and work telephone numbers, requires email addresses for all applicants, and changes the Social Security Number field to only require the last four digits. Lines on the application asking for an explanation for why the applicant should be granted the license, whether the applicant has ever held a license in the past, and whether that license has ever been suspended have been removed. Instead of asking whether the applicant has ever held a license, it asks if the applicant currently holds a license. Instead of asking if the applicant has ever been convicted of a felony, it asks if the applicant has ever been convicted of an offense other than a traffic violation. The form also reflects the updated application fee. "Promoter Application", June 2023. This is a five (5) page form that the Commission is authorized to develop pursuant to KRS 229.025 and 229.171. The header has been reformatted to include the Commission’s contact information and an updated PPC logo. One of the options for the applicant to select what type of license has been updated from “Boxing (includes Kickboxing and Elimination Events)” to “Boxing/Kickboxing.” “Medical Provider Application”, June 2023; This is a two (2) page form that the Commission is authorized to develop pursuant to KRS 229.025 and 229.171. The header has been reformatted include the Commission’s contact information and the updated PPC logo. The form also reflects the updated application fee. “Physical Report”, June 2023. This is a four (4) page form that the Commission is authorized to develop pursuant to KRS 229.025 and 229.171. The header has been reformatted to include the Commission’s contact information and an updated PPC logo. “Promoter Bond Form”, June 2023. This is a five (3) page form that the Commission is authorized to develop pursuant to KRS 229.025 and 229.171. The header has been reformatted to include the Commission’s contact information and an updated PPC logo. “Boxer’s Federal Identification Card Application”, June 2023. This is a three (3) page form that the Commission is authorized to develop pursuant to KRS 229.025 and 229.171. The header has been reformatted to include the Commission’s contact information and an updated PPC logo. “Referee Application”, June 2023. This is a three (3) page form the Commission is authorized to develop pursuant to KRS 229.025. This is a new form; referee applicants previously applied using the non-contestant application. The form also reflects the updated application fee.