[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5188 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5188
To amend the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 to establish
requirements for unified boxing organizations and to further enhance
the well-being of professional boxers, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 30, 2026
Mr. Cruz (for himself and Ms. Rosen) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 to establish
requirements for unified boxing organizations and to further enhance
the well-being of professional boxers, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival
Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to provide increased choice and opportunity to
professional boxers by allowing a professional boxer to choose
to participate in the alternative system offered by a unified
boxing organization; and
(2) to further enhance safety precautions that protect the
well-being of professional boxers.
SEC. 3. UNIFIED BOXING ORGANIZATIONS.
The Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 (15 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.)
is amended--
(1) in section 2 (15 U.S.C. 6301)--
(A) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the
following:
``(7) Physician.--The term `physician' means a doctor of
medicine, with a degree of Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of
Osteopathic Medicine, who is legally authorized to practice
medicine by the State in which the physician performs such
function or action.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(16) Unified boxing organization.--The term `unified
boxing organization' means an association, a league, or a
centralized industry organization in the private sector that--
``(A) organizes a professional boxing match in a
system in which a boxer under contract with such
association, league, or centralized industry
organization competes against another such boxer
pursuant to unified rules; and
``(B) implements a system for title belts for
boxers under contract with such association, league, or
centralized industry organization and may rely upon,
utilize, or recognize titles and rankings for such
boxers from an organization operating independently of
such association, league, or centralized industry
organization.'';
(2) in section 18(b) (15 U.S.C. 6309(b)), by adding at the
end the following:
``(5) Unified boxing organizations.--Any officer or
employee of a unified boxing organization who knowingly
violates, or coerces or causes any other person to violate,
section 21A shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned for not more
than 1 year or fined not more than $20,000, or both.''; and
(3) by inserting after section 21 the following:
``SEC. 21A. UNIFIED BOXING ORGANIZATIONS.
``(a) Alternative System for Compliance.--A unified boxing
organization shall be considered to be in compliance with the
requirements of this Act if the unified boxing organization meets the
requirements of section 5 and the conditions of this section with
respect to--
``(1) each boxer under contract with the unified boxing
organization; and
``(2) each covered match.
``(b) Safety and Industry Standards; Medical Examinations.--
``(1) In general.--A condition of this section is that a
unified boxing organization shall meet the requirements of
paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, in addition to the
requirements of section 5.
``(2) Special rule relating to knockouts.--In the case of a
boxer who suffers a knockout during a covered match, a unified
boxing organization shall require that, in addition to the
examinations required for such boxer under section
5(a)(1)(B)(iii), the boxer shall undergo the applicable
examinations described in such section relating to brain health
before the boxer may participate in a subsequent covered match.
``(3) Supplemental physical examinations for boxers who are
40 years of age or older.--
``(A) In general.--A unified boxing organization
shall ensure that a boxer who participates in a covered
match at the age of 40 or older has undergone, in
addition to the physical examinations required under
section 5(a)(1)(B)(iii) and paragraph (2) of this
subsection, as applicable, a supplemental physical
examination conducted by a licensed physician that
affirms the fitness of the boxer to safely participate
in a covered match.
``(B) Elements.--A supplemental physical
examination under subparagraph (A) shall include each
of the following:
``(i) A chest X-ray.
``(ii) A comprehensive metabolic panel
blood test.
``(iii) A urinalysis to measure the overall
health condition of the boxer.
``(C) Frequency.--The supplemental physical
examination to be conducted under subparagraph (A)
shall occur not less frequently than annually, except
that the chest X-ray required under subparagraph (B)(i)
shall occur not less frequently than once every 6
years.
``(c) Provision of Medical Care During Covered Matches.--
``(1) Ambulances.--A condition of this section is that a
unified boxing organization shall provide, in addition to the
ambulance required to be provided by the unified boxing
organization under section 5(a)(2), at least 1 additional
ambulance to be continuously present on site at a covered
match.
``(2) Ringside physician presence.--
``(A) In general.--A condition of this section is
that a unified boxing organization shall provide, in
addition to the licensed physician required to be
provided by such unified boxing organization under
section 5(a)(3), at least 1 additional licensed
physician to be continuously present at ringside during
a covered match.
``(B) Certification requirement.--Beginning on the
date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of
this section, each physician required to be provided by
a unified boxing organization shall have a
certification obtained through a certification program
administered by the Association of Boxing Commissions
in partnership with the Association of Ringside
Physicians (or a successor organization).
``(d) Support Services.--A condition of this section is that,
during the period in which a boxer is under contract with a unified
boxing organization, the unified boxing organization shall ensure that
such boxer has each of the following:
``(1) Access to equipment and facilities for training and
rehabilitation at reasonable costs proximate to where the boxer
resides.
``(2) In addition to the health insurance provided to the
boxer under section 5(a)(4), an insurance policy in effect that
provides medical coverage for any injury sustained by the boxer
during the period of training for a covered match.
``(3) A medical coordinator assigned to the boxer to assist
the boxer with satisfying medical and licensing requirements
related to the participation of the boxer in a covered match.
``(e) Comprehensive Anti-Doping Program.--
``(1) Requirement.--
``(A) In general.--A condition of this section is
that a unified boxing organization shall have in effect
a comprehensive anti-doping program that includes
testing, and requirements related to such testing,
under this subsection.
``(B) List of prohibited substances and
penalties.--A unified boxing organization shall, on an
annual basis, publish, and make available to the
public, a list that identifies, with respect to the
preceding year--
``(i) each substance tested for under the
comprehensive anti-doping program of the
unified boxing organization; and
``(ii) each penalty imposed on a boxer
under paragraph (6).
``(2) In-competition testing.--
``(A) In general.--The unified boxing organization
shall ensure that testing is conducted in accordance
with paragraph (5) for not fewer than half the boxers
participating in each covered match organized by such
unified boxing organization for an event.
``(B) Timing.--Testing required under subparagraph
(A) shall--
``(i) occur during the period beginning on
the date of a weigh-in for a covered match and
ending on the date of the covered match; and
``(ii) determine whether a boxer is
positive or negative for each substance
prohibited by--
``(I) the boxing commission of the
State in which the covered match is
held;
``(II) in the case of a covered
match held within a reservation, the
tribal organization that meets the
requirements of section 21 and is
responsible for regulating the covered
match; or
``(III) in the case of a covered
match held in a State without a boxing
commission, the commission responsible
for regulating the covered match as
provided by section 4.
``(3) No-notice testing.--In addition to the testing
required under paragraph (2), during the period in which a
boxer is under contract with a unified boxing organization, the
unified boxing organization may conduct testing, with no
advance notice to the boxer and in accordance with paragraph
(5), to determine whether such boxer is positive or negative
for each substance prohibited by the unified boxing
organization.
``(4) Substances prohibited by unified boxing
organization.--The unified boxing organization shall prohibit
each substance prohibited as described in subclause (I) of
clause (ii) of section 7(a)(5)(B) (or, if no substance is so
prohibited, each substance listed as described in subclause
(II) of such clause), except that the unified boxing
organization may elect not to test a boxer participating in a
covered match for any substance that is not prohibited by the
boxing commission of the State in which the covered match is
being held or the tribal organization responsible for
regulating the covered match.
``(5) Administration of tests.--An independent third party
shall conduct the testing under paragraphs (2) and (3), which
shall include--
``(A) carrying out each such test;
``(B) determining the result of each such test; and
``(C) reporting a positive result of such a test
to--
``(i) the unified boxing organization
concerned;
``(ii) the boxing commission of the State
in which a covered match is held or the tribal
organization responsible for regulating the
covered match, as applicable; and
``(iii) the Association of Boxing
Commissions.
``(6) Penalties.--
``(A) In general.--A unified boxing organization
shall enforce any penalty imposed by, with respect to a
positive test result related to the testing conducted
under paragraph (2)--
``(i) the boxing commission of the State in
which a covered match is held or the tribal
organization responsible for regulating the
covered match, as applicable; or
``(ii) the Association of Boxing
Commissions.
``(B) Assessment for penalties.--In imposing a
penalty on a boxer for whom the independent third party
reports a positive test result under paragraph (2) or
(3), the Association of Boxing Commissions shall
consider--
``(i) the seriousness of the positive test
result in relation to the participation of the
boxer in a covered match; and
``(ii) the degree to which the boxer is at
fault for the positive test result.
``(7) Contract requirement.--A unified boxing organization
shall include in any contract entered into between the unified
boxing organization and a boxer regarding participation in
covered matches such terms and conditions as may be necessary
to require the boxer to submit to testing under this subsection
during the period of the contract.
``(f) Required Contract Provisions.--
``(1) In general.--In addition to the requirements
described in subsection (e)(7), a contract between a unified
boxing organization and a boxer shall meet each of the
following requirements:
``(A) The contract shall not prohibit, during the
90 day period ending on the last day of such contract,
the boxer from communicating with another unified
boxing organization or a promoter, provided that the
boxer may not enter into a new agreement before the end
of the term of the existing contract.
``(B) The contract shall--
``(i) specify the minimum payment that a
boxer would or will receive for participating
in a round of a covered match, which shall be
at least $200 per round scheduled; and
``(ii)(I) arrange for such boxer to fight
in a minimum of 1 covered match every 6 months;
or
``(II) ensure that such boxer is paid an
amount that is not less than 10 times the
minimum payment for 1 round specified under
clause (i), except that this subclause shall
not apply if an injury prevents the boxer from
fighting and the boxer is collecting insurance
for such injury pursuant to subsection (d)(2),
the boxer tests positive for a prohibited
substance, or the boxer refuses or is otherwise
unable to fight for reasons beyond the control
of the unified boxing organization, including
inability of the boxer to travel or the boxer's
failure to maintain relevant licensure.
``(C) Except as specified in paragraph (2), the
contract may not exceed 6 years.
``(2) Exception for first professional agreement; free
agency rights.--A contract between a unified boxing
organization and a boxer that constitutes the first
professional promotional agreement of the boxer shall not
exceed 3 years.
``(3) Application to all promotional contracts.--
Notwithstanding another provision of law, the protections
afforded to boxers under paragraphs (1)(A), (1)(C), and (2)
shall apply to any contract between a boxer and a promoter to
the same extent as those protections apply to a contract
between a boxer and a unified boxing organization.
``(g) Boxing Conduct Policy.--
``(1) In general.--A condition of this section is that a
unified boxing organization shall implement and ensure
compliance with a comprehensive boxing conduct policy that
prohibits a boxer, or any covered individual, who is directly
involved with or participates in a covered match from--
``(A) placing a bet or wager, directly or through a
third party, on the covered match; and
``(B) sharing nonpublic information with a third
party that is material to the performance of a boxer
participating in the covered match or the outcome of
the match for the purpose of assisting the third party
in placing a bet or wager on the covered match.
``(2) Compliance.--A unified boxing organization shall
implement and ensure compliance with procedures for monitoring
and enforcing compliance with the boxing conduct policy
implemented under paragraph (1) and enforce any suspension or
other penalty imposed by a State, territorial, or tribal boxing
commission.
``(h) Firewall Between Unified Boxing Organizations and Managers.--
A condition of this section is that a unified boxing organization shall
implement prohibitions against officers or employees of the unified
boxing organization, or any representative of the unified boxing
organization, who do any of the following:
``(1) Have any direct or indirect financial interest in the