HB 26-1194

HB 26-1194 is a Colorado bill that updates and extends the rules for combative sports like boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts. It changes the name of existing laws from "Professional Boxing" to "Combative Sports," ensuring they cover more types of fighting events. The bill also makes sure doctors on the commission have experience in emergency or sports medicine and requires them to be able to vote. Additionally, it mandates that safety data is collected for these sports and used when making rules. This bill has been signed into law, meaning its changes are now official and will affect how combative sports are regulated in Colorado until 2037.

Official Summary

Sunset Process - House Health and Human Services Committee. The bill implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its 2025 sunset review and report.      Section 1 of the bill changes the name of the 'Colorado Professional Boxing Safety Act' to the 'Colorado Combative Sports Safety Act'. Sections 4, 5, 8, 12, and 13 update terms that reference boxing to better align with the new title.      Sections 2 and 3 continue the 'Colorado Combative Sports Safety Act' and the office of combative sports (office), including the Colorado combative sports commission (commission), for 11 years, until 2037.      Section 6 grants the 2 physician members of the commission the power to vote with the other members and clarifies that the physician members must have experience or training in emergency, sports, or combative sports medicine.      Section 9 directs the office director to gather safety data related to combative sports to provide to the commission.      Section 7 directs the commission to consider the safety data collected by the office director during the commission's rule-making and requires the commission to identify, by rule, the combative sports to which the 'Colorado Combative Sports Safety Act' applies.      Section 10 adds, to the combative sports statutes pertaining to grounds for discipline, that the director of the division of professions and occupations (division) may discipline a licensee or an applicant for a license for failing to respond to a letter from the division regarding a complaint against the licensee or applicant within the length of time for response specified in the letter. Section 10 also removes the requirement that a letter of admonition sent to a licensee or applicant be sent by certified mail.      Section 11 prohibits a promoter or matchmaker from having a financial interest in the management of a combative sports participant (participant) and prohibits a manager from:Having a financial interest in the promotion of a participant;Being employed by a promoter or matchmaker; orReceiving compensation or other benefits from a promoter or matchmaker beyond the amount received as consideration pursuant to the manager's contract with the participant.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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