N.Y. General Business Law § 1015: Conduct of authorized professional combative sports

§ 1015. Conduct of authorized professional combative sports. 1. All

buildings or structures used or intended to be used for conducting

authorized professional combative sports shall be properly ventilated

and provided with fire exits and fire escapes, and in all manner conform

to the laws, ordinances and regulations pertaining to buildings in the

city, town or village where situated.

2. No person under the age of eighteen years shall participate in any

authorized professional combative sports, and no person under sixteen

years of age shall be permitted to attend thereat as a spectator,

provided, however, that a person under the age of sixteen may be

permitted to attend as a spectator if accompanied by a parent or

guardian.

3. Except as otherwise provided in sections one thousand six and one

thousand seventeen of this article, at each authorized professional

combative sport, except where conducted solely for training purposes,

there shall be in attendance a duly licensed referee who shall direct

and control the same. There shall also be in attendance, except where

conducted solely for training purposes, three duly licensed judges who

shall at the termination of each such authorized professional combative

sport render their decision. The winner shall be determined in

accordance with a scoring system prescribed by the commission.

4. Except as otherwise provided in sections one thousand six and one

thousand seventeen of this article, the commission shall direct an

employee of the commission to be present at each place where authorized

professional combative sports are to be conducted. Such employee of the

commission shall ascertain the exact conditions surrounding such

authorized professional combative sport and make a written report of the

same in the manner and form prescribed by the commission. Where

authorized professional combative sports are approved to be held in a

state or city owned armory, the provision of the military law in respect

thereto must be complied with.

5. Except as otherwise provided in sections one thousand six and one

thousand seventeen of this article, any ring or combat surface must be

inspected and approved by the commission prior to the commencement of

any authorized professional combative sport.

6. Except as otherwise provided in sections one thousand six and one

thousand seventeen of this article, all professionals must be examined

by a physician designated by the commission before entering the ring or

combat surface and each such physician shall immediately file with the

commission a written report of such examination. The cost of any such

examination, as prescribed by a schedule of fees established by the

commission, shall be paid by the corporation conducting the authorized

professional combative sport to the commission. It shall be the duty of

every person or corporation licensed to conduct an authorized

professional combative sport, to have in attendance at every authorized

professional combative sport, at least one physician designated by the

commission as the rules shall provide. The commission may establish a

schedule of fees to be paid by the licensee to cover the cost of such

attendance.

7. The physician shall terminate any authorized professional combative

sport if in the opinion of such physician any professional has received

severe punishment or is in danger of serious physical injury. In the

event of any serious physical injury, such physician shall immediately

render any emergency treatment necessary, recommend further treatment or

hospitalization if required, and fully report the entire matter to the

commission within twenty-four hours and if necessary, subsequently

thereafter. Such physician may also require that the injured

professional and his or her manager remain in the ring or on the

premises or report to a hospital after the contest for such period of

time as such physician deems advisable. Any professional licensed under

this article rendered unconscious or suffering head trauma as determined

by the attending physician shall be immediately examined by the

attending commission physician and shall be required to undergo

neurological examinations by a neurologist including but not limited to

magnetic resonance imaging or medically equivalent procedure.

8. Such physician may enter the ring at any time during an authorized

professional combative sport and may terminate the match if in his or

her opinion the same is necessary to prevent severe punishment or

serious physical injury to a professional.

9. Before a license shall be granted to a person or corporation to

conduct an authorized professional combative sport, the applicant shall

execute and file with the secretary of state a bond in an amount to be

determined by the commission, to be approved as to form and sufficiency

of sureties thereon by the secretary of state, conditioned for the

faithful performance by said corporation of the provisions of this

article and the rules and regulations of the commission, and upon the

filing and approval of said bond the secretary of state shall issue to

said applicant a certificate of such filing and approval, which shall

be, by said applicant, filed in the office of the commission with its

application for license, and no such license shall be issued until such

certificate shall be filed. In case of default in such performance, the

commission may impose upon the delinquent a penalty in the sum of not

more than one thousand dollars for each offense, which may be recovered

by the attorney-general in the name of the people of the state of New

York in the same manner as other penalties are recovered by law; any

amount so recovered shall be paid into the treasury.

10. In addition to the bond required by subdivision nine of this

section, each applicant for a license to conduct an authorized

professional combative sport shall execute and file with the secretary

of state a bond in an amount to be determined by the commission to be

approved as to form and sufficiency of sureties thereon by the secretary

of state, conditioned for and guaranteeing the payment of professionals'

and professional wrestlers' purses, salaries of club employees licensed

by the commission, and the legitimate expenses of printing tickets and

all advertising material.

11. All persons, parties or corporations having licenses as promoters

or who are licensed in accordance with section one thousand seventeen of

this article shall continuously provide accident insurance or such other

form of financial guarantee deemed acceptable by the commission, for the

protection of licensed professionals and professional wrestlers,

appearing in authorized professional combative sports or wrestling

exhibitions. Such accident insurance or financial guarantee shall

provide coverage to the licensed professional for: medical, surgical and

hospital care, with a minimum limit of fifty thousand dollars for

injuries sustained while participating in any program operated under the

control of such licensed promoter and for a payment of fifty thousand

dollars to the estate of any deceased athlete where such death is

occasioned by injuries received in this state during the course of a

program in which such licensed professional or professional wrestler

participated under the promotion or control of any licensed promoter;

and, medical, surgical and hospital care with a minimum limit of one

million dollars for the treatment of a life-threatening brain injury

sustained in a program operated under the control of such licensed

promoter, where an identifiable, causal link exists between the

professional licensee's participation in such program and the

life-threatening brain injury. Where applicable, professional licensees

shall be afforded the option to supplement the premiums for the accident

insurance or financial guarantee to increase the coverage beyond the

minimum limits required by this subdivision. The commission may from

time to time, promulgate regulations to adjust the amount of such

minimum limits. The failure to provide such insurance as is required by

this subdivision shall be cause for the suspension or the revocation of

the license of such defaulting entity.

12. (a) Every individual, corporation, association or club holding any

professional or amateur combative sport, including any professional

wrestling match or exhibition, for which an admission fee is charged or

received, shall notify the athletic commission at least ten days in

advance of the holding of such contest. All tickets of admission to any

such professional or amateur combative sport or professional wrestling

match or exhibition shall be procured from a printer duly authorized by

the state athletic commission to print such tickets and shall bear

clearly upon the face thereof the purchase price and location of same.

(b) Pursuant to direction by the commissioner of taxation and finance,

employees or officers of the commission shall act as agents of the

commissioner of taxation and finance to collect the tax imposed by

article nineteen of the tax law. The athletic commission shall provide

the commissioner of taxation and finance with such information and

technical assistance as may be necessary for the proper administration

of such tax.