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Bill

S 300

Relates to providing an income tax credit for retired disabled police officers

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jake Ashby and 6 co-sponsors

Creates a Massachusetts State Athletic Commission to regulate combat sports (boxing, MMA, kickboxing) and oversee youth sports, with licensing powers and safety rules.

REFERRED TO BUDGET AND REVENUE
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Bill Summary · S 300

Note on source material
- The bill number provided (S 300) includes conflicting metadata: a title about an income tax credit for retired disabled police officers and sponsor lists that appear unrelated. This summary is based on the actual bill text included in your message, which is titled "An Act providing oversight of youth sports and combat sports in the Commonwealth" (Senate No. 300, filed 1/17/2025 by Senator Barry R. Finegold). Where the source document is truncated or inconsistent, this summary flags uncertainties.

Bill overview

  • Short title (from text): An Act providing oversight of youth sports and combat sports in the Commonwealth.
  • Primary action: Creates a Massachusetts State Athletic Commission and inserts a new Chapter 23O into the General Laws to regulate unarmed combative sports and provide oversight of youth sports (with some exceptions), amends existing statutory provisions, and establishes funding/transfer authority tied to licensing fees.
  • Introduced: Filed 1/17/2025; introduced in Senate 1/29/2025 (Sen. Barry R. Finegold).
  • Current status and actions (excerpt): Referred to committees (Small Business & Entrepreneurship; Economic Development & Emerging Technologies), reported with amendment, placed on Senate calendar (3/4/2025). Hearing scheduled 6/05/2025.

Purpose and intent

  • To create a state-level regulatory body (Massachusetts State Athletic Commission) with statutory authority to oversee combat sports (boxing, mixed martial arts, kickboxing, etc.) and certain youth sports not already governed by other athletic associations, with the aims of improving safety, licensing, and oversight.

Key provisions

  • Repeals Section 12 of chapter 22 of the General Laws (text of that section not included in provided excerpt).
  • Amends chapter 23N (several numeric changes: e.g., “17.5” → “16.5”, “27.5” → “25.5”, and a numeric substitution “1” → “4”) and revises permitted uses of certain funds to include:
    • After‑school and out‑of‑school activities (including youth athletics, academic support, arts, and community service).
    • Matching grants to elementary and secondary youth sports organizations to attend events (national/international).
    • A transfer to a State Athletic Commission Fund (to offset lost revenue from licensing fees waived under proposed section 24 of chapter 23O).
  • Establishes new Chapter 23O with:
    • Definitions for terms such as “boxing,” “mixed martial arts,” “kickboxing,” “unarmed combative sport,” “toughman,” “youth sport,” and backgrounds required for commissioners.
    • A Massachusetts State Athletic Commission composed of five commissioners:
    • 3 appointed by the Governor (including at least one with boxing combat-sports background and at least one with a mixed martial arts / muay thai / kickboxing combat-sports background).
    • 2 appointed by a majority vote of the Attorney General, Speaker of the House, and Senate President; these two must have youth sports backgrounds.
    • Commissioners serve 5-year terms and may be removed for cause (malfeasance, neglect, inability, etc.).
    • Creation of an executive director role and (text truncated) likely divisions, licensing, and regulatory authorities (full powers not all provided in excerpt).

Who is affected

  • Combat sports participants and professionals (fighters, promoters, referees, judges, managers) in Massachusetts.
  • Youth sports organizations not governed by the MIAA, Middle Level Athletic Committee, NCAA, or other commission‑recognized governing bodies.
  • Promoters and businesses staging combat sports events in the state.
  • State government (new commission, potential staffing and administrative responsibilities).
  • School and nonprofit youth programs that may receive matching grants or be subject to new oversight rules.

Funding and fiscal considerations

  • The bill contemplates transfers to a State Athletic Commission Fund (referenced via chapter 29, section 2AAAA) to compensate for licensing fee revenue waived under proposed rules (section 24 of chapter 23O). Exact fee levels, waiver conditions, and fiscal estimates are not included in the provided excerpt.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Filed 1/17/2025; introduced 1/29/2025. Referred to and reported out of relevant committees with amendments; Senate calendar placement occurred 3/4/2025. A public hearing was scheduled for 6/5/2025 (per docket).
  • The bill text is truncated in the provided document; additional operational details (licensing regimes, enforcement, penalties, staffing levels, fee schedules) likely appear in later sections not included here.

Caveats and next steps

  • This summary is limited to the material provided. The document is truncated (mid‑sentence) and contains some metadata inconsistencies; readers should consult the full enrolled/revised bill text and fiscal notes for final statutory language, regulatory powers, licensing procedures, and an official budgetary impact statement.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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