Sec. 29-143j. (Formerly Sec. 21a-196). Jurisdiction of Commissioner of Public Safety. Investigation and inspection. Licensing fees. Registration. Regulations.
Sec. 29-143j. (Formerly Sec. 21a-196). Jurisdiction of Commissioner of Public
Safety. Investigation and inspection. Licensing fees. Registration. Regulations. (a)
As used in this chapter, "commissioner" means the Commissioner of Public Safety.
(b) The commissioner shall have sole control of and jurisdiction over all amateur
and professional boxing and sparring matches held, conducted or given within the state
by any person or persons, club, corporation or association, except amateur boxing and
sparring matches held under the supervision of any school, college or university having
an academic course of study or of the recognized athletic association connected with
such school, college or university or amateur boxing and sparring matches held under
the auspices of any amateur athletic association that has been determined by the commissioner to be capable of ensuring the health and safety of the participants; provided the
commissioner may at any time assume jurisdiction over any amateur boxing or sparring
match if the commissioner determines that the health and safety of the participants is
not being sufficiently safeguarded. The commissioner may appoint inspectors who shall,
on the order of the commissioner, represent the commissioner at all boxing matches.
The commissioner may appoint a secretary who shall prepare for service such notices
and papers as may be required and perform such other duties as the commissioner directs.
(c) The commissioner or the commissioner's authorized representative may cause
a full investigation to be made of the location of, and paraphernalia and equipment to
be used in any boxing or sparring match and all other matters and shall determine whether
or not such match will be reasonably safe for the participants and for public attendance
and may make reasonable orders concerning alterations or betterments to the equipment
and paraphernalia, and concerning the character and arrangement of the seating, means
of egress, lighting, firefighting appliances, fire and police protection and such other
provisions as shall make the match reasonably safe against both fire and casualty
hazards.
(d) When any serious physical injury, as defined in subdivision (4) of section 53a-3, or death occurs in connection with a boxing or sparring match, the owner of the
location of the match shall, not later than four hours after such occurrence, report the
injury or death to the commissioner or the commissioner's designee. Not later than four
hours after receipt of such report, the commissioner or the commissioner's designee
shall cause an investigation of the occurrence to determine the cause of such serious
physical injury or death. The commissioner or the commissioner's designee may enter
into any place or upon any premises so registered or licensed in furtherance of such
investigation and inspection.
(e) The commissioner, in consultation with the Connecticut Boxing Commission,
shall adopt such regulations in accordance with chapter 54 as the commissioner deems
necessary and desirable for the conduct, supervision and safety of boxing matches,
including the licensing of the sponsors and the participants of such boxing matches, and
for the development and promotion of the sport of boxing in this state, including, but
not limited to, regulations to improve the competitiveness of the sport of boxing in this
state relative to other states. Such regulations shall require fees for the issuance of licenses to such sponsors and participants as follows: (1) For referees, a fee of not less
than sixty-three dollars; (2) for matchmakers and assistant matchmakers, a fee of not
less than sixty-three dollars; (3) for timekeepers, a fee of not less than thirteen dollars;
(4) for professional boxers, a fee of not less than thirteen dollars; (5) for amateur boxers,
a fee of not less than three dollars; (6) for managers, a fee of not less than sixty-three
dollars; (7) for trainers, a fee of not less than thirteen dollars; (8) for seconds, a fee of
not less than thirteen dollars; (9) for announcers, a fee of not less than thirteen dollars;
and (10) for promoters, a fee of not less than two hundred fifty dollars.
(f) No organization, gymnasium or independent club shall host a sparring match
unless such organization, gymnasium or independent club registers with the Department
of Public Safety in accordance with this subsection. The commissioner shall register any
organization, gymnasium or independent club that the commissioner deems qualified to
host such matches. Application for such registration shall be made on forms provided
by the department and accompanied by a fee of fifty dollars. For the purpose of enforcing
the provisions of this chapter, the commissioner or an authorized representative may
inspect the facility of any such organization, gymnasium or independent club. The Attorney General, at the request of the Commissioner of Public Safety, may apply in the name
of the state of Connecticut to the Superior Court for an order temporarily or permanently
restraining any organization, gymnasium or independent club from operating in violation of any provision of this chapter or the regulations adopted pursuant to this subsection. The commissioner, in consultation with the Connecticut Boxing Commission, shall
adopt such regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, as the commissioner deems necessary for the conduct, supervision and safety of sparring matches.
(g) The state, acting by and in the discretion of the commissioner, may enter into
a contract with any person for the services of such person acting as an inspector appointed
in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(1949 Rev., S. 3508; 1959, P.A. 412, S. 32; February, 1965, P.A. 617, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 656, S. 18; 787, S. 2; 1972, P.A.
55, S. 1; P.A. 73-393; P.A. 80-137, S. 1; P.A. 82-53, S. 1, 4; P.A. 84-344, S. 3, 11; P.A. 85-157, S. 1, 9; 85-293, S. 1; P.A.
88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 89-251, S. 155, 203; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4-6; P.A. 96-259,
S. 12; P.A. 98-117, S. 1; P.A. 99-194, S. 8; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 06-187, S. 26;
P.A. 07-6, S. 3.)
History: 1959 act substituted commissioner of consumer protection for athletic commissioner, the latter office having
been abolished and added provisions re inspectors and secretary; 1965 act deleted boxing exhibitions; 1967 acts reiterated
deletion of boxing exhibitions and then added provisions re amateur boxing exhibitions; 1972 act made provisions applicable to all boxing exhibitions, deleting the word "amateur"; P.A. 73-393 required commissioner to make regulations by
substituting "shall" for "may" and included regulations re wrestling bouts; P.A. 80-137 made previous provisions Subsecs.
(a) and (c), removed previous provision granting secretary subpoena power and inserted new Subsec. (b) re subpoena, oath
administration and hearing powers and rephrased regulation provisions in Subsec. (c); P.A. 82-53 amended Subsec. (a)
by providing that exhibitions and bouts held under the auspices of an amateur athletic association will not be under the
commissioner's jurisdiction unless he makes a specific determination; Sec. 19-327 transferred to Sec. 21a-196 in 1983;
P.A. 84-344 transferred the duties of the commissioner of consumer protection to a state boxing commissioner and added
Subsec. (d), authorizing the commissioner to enter into contracts with inspectors, effective March 1, 1985; P.A. 85-157
substituted commissioner of consumer protection for state boxing commissioner, that office having been abolished, and
made technical changes; P.A. 85-293 amended Subsec. (c) by repealing commissioner's power to make regulations governing wrestling bouts; P.A. 88-230 replaced "judicial district of Hartford-New Britain" with "judicial district of Hartford",
effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 89-251 amended Subsec. (c) to establish fees for sponsors, officials and participants in
boxing exhibitions; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993;
P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14,
1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective
July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-259 added Subsec. (e) authorizing commissioner to disallow the conduct of certain professional
wrestling bouts; P.A. 98-117 added new Subsec. (a) defining "commissioner", redesignated existing Subsecs. (a) to (e) as
Subsecs. (b) to (f), added provisions re regulations for the development and promotion of the sport of boxing, and made
technical changes; P.A. 99-194 made technical and gender neutral changes, replaced references to boxing exhibition with
references to boxing match and replaced references to wrestling bout with references to wrestling exhibition; June 30
Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Consumer Protection with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer
Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the
merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 06-187 amended Subsec.
(a) to replace reference to Commissioner of Consumer Protection with Commissioner of Public Safety, amended Subsec.
(b) to insert "amateur and professional", add references to "sparring", and delete references to "wrestling exhibitions",
amended Subsec. (c) to replace provisions re commissioner's powers of subpoena, administering oaths and conducting
hearings with new language re investigatory powers and orders, added new Subsec. (d) re serious physical injury, redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as new Subsec. (e) and inserted "in consultation with the Connecticut Boxing Commission"
therein, added new Subsec. (f) re registering of hosts of sparring matches, inspections, and regulations, redesignated existing
Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (g) and deleted former Subsec. (f) re wrestling exhibitions; Sec. 21a-196 transferred to Sec. 29-143j
in 2007; P.A. 07-6 made technical changes in Subsecs. (c), (e) and (f).
See chapter 54 re uniform administrative procedure.
See Secs. 53-200 and 53-201 re penalties for offenses involving prize fights.