Mississippi Athletic Commission; remove wrestling from under the supervision of.

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To: State Affairs
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Tullos

HOUSE BILL NO. 1487

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 75-75-101, 75-75-105, 75-75-109, 1
75-75-115 AND 75-75-117, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REMOVE 2
WRESTLING MATCHES FROM UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI 3
ATHLETIC COMMISSION; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 75-75-123, 4
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH EXEMPTS COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY AND 5
HIGH SCHOOL BOXING, SPARRING AND WRESTLING MATCHES FROM THE 6
JURISDICTION OF THE MISSISSIPPI ATHLETIC COMMISSION, FOR THE 7
PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. Section 75-75-101, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 10
amended as follows: 11
75-75-101. (1) Boxing, sparring and * * * exhibitions for 12
percentage of gate receipts where an admission fee is charged are 13
hereby allowed. All boxing, sparring and * * * exhibitions 14
authorized herein shall be held under the supervision of and 15
subject to the rules and regulations of the Mississippi Athletic 16
Commission, and in strict compliance with the provisions of this 17
article. No boxing or sparring match or exhibition shall exceed 18
fifteen (15) rounds of three (3) minutes each, and the charge for 19
each seat or ticket shall be left to the discretion of the 20
commission. 21
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(2) For the purposes of this chapter, "tough-man contest" 22
and kickboxing competition shall be subject to the jurisdiction of 23
the Mississippi Athletic Commission. 24
SECTION 2. Section 75-75-105, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 25
amended as follows: 26
75-75-105. The commission shall have a seal and shall have 27
and is hereby vested with the sole direction, management, control 28
and jurisdiction over all boxing, sparring * * * or exhibitions to 29
be conducted, held or given within the State of Mississippi. The 30
commission has full power and authority and it shall be its duty: 31
(a) to make and publish rules and regulations governing the 32
conduct of boxing, sparring and * * * exhibitions, the time and 33
place thereof, and the prices charged for admission thereto; (b) 34
to accept application for and, in its discretion, order a license 35
or permit issued to promoters and participants of these events, 36
and to revoke the license or permit; (c) to collect through the 37
recorder of permits and licenses a fee of six percent (6%) of the 38
gross receipts of every boxing, sparring or * * * exhibition, and 39
a reasonable fee not to exceed One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for 40
each annual license or permit issued to a boxer, * * * referee, 41
judge, matchmaker, promoter, manager, trainer, second, director, 42
or timekeeper; and (d) to revoke any license or permit when, in 43
its judgment, the public welfare requires it. The commission is 44
prohibited from issuing regulations which may be construed as 45
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granting a franchised or exclusive territory, and from the issuing 46
of any type of monopolistic license or permit. 47
SECTION 3. Section 75-75-109, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 48
amended as follows: 49
75-75-109. The commission may appoint and remove at 50
pleasure, such number of inspectors of athletics as in its 51
judgment is necessary to aid in the proper discharge of its 52
duties. Compensation may be paid an inspector as the commission 53
may determine, but he shall be paid, when ordered to attend a 54
match or exhibition, his actual traveling expenses in the same way 55
and manner as expenses of members of the commission are paid. It 56
shall be the duty of the commission, either by one of its members 57
or by a duly appointed inspector, to attend every boxing, * * * 58
sparring match or exhibition held in the State of Mississippi. 59
The commission may appoint and remove at pleasure, a secretary to 60
the commission, who shall perform such duties as the commission 61
may prescribe, and who shall keep a full, complete and up-to-date 62
record of all proceedings of said commission, including all 63
licenses and all sums collected, and make a report thereof to the 64
State Auditor annually, on or before the fifteenth day of January 65
in each year. 66
SECTION 4. Section 75-75-115, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 67
amended as follows: 68
75-75-115. All contracts relating to the holding or staging 69
of any boxing, * * * sparring match or exhibition in Mississippi, 70
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or relating to any participation therein, shall contain a 71
provision to the effect that all rules passed or adopted by the 72
commission, either before or after the execution of the contract, 73
shall be considered as a part of the contract, the same as if said 74
rules were fully set out in the body of the instrument. 75
SECTION 5. Section 75-75-117, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 76
amended as follows: 77
75-75-117. Any person who shall voluntarily engage in a 78
pugilistic encounter * * * or exhibition, for money or any other 79
things of value, or for which an admission fee is charged, either 80
directly or indirectly, or any person who shall be concerned 81
directly or indirectly in the promotion of any boxing, * * * 82
sparring match or exhibition, or any person who acts or attempts 83
to act as referee, judge, matchmaker, promoter, manager, trainer, 84
director, second or timekeeper in connection with any 85
boxing, * * * sparring match or exhibition in this state without 86
first having obtained a license or permit from the commission, on 87
conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment in the Penitentiary 88
not less than one (1) year; or by fine not less than One Hundred 89
Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00); 90
or by imprisonment in the county jail not less than thirty (30) 91
days nor more than six (6) months; or by both such fine and 92
imprisonment. 93
SECTION 6. Section 75-75-123, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 94
brought forward as follows: 95
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ST: Mississippi Athletic Commission; remove
wrestling from under the supervision of.
75-75-123. Boxing, sparring and wrestling matches in 96
colleges, universities or high schools shall be exempted from the 97
jurisdiction of the commission herein created and shall be 98
permitted and supervised by the governing body of such high 99
school, college or university. 100
SECTION 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from 101
and after July 1, 2026. 102