RELATING TO COMBAT SPORTS.

Renamed the State Boxing Commission to the Combat Sports Commission of Hawaii to reflect its expanded jurisdiction over all full-contact combat sports.

Eliminated the requirement to split the commission into two sub-commissions (one for boxing and one for combat sports), replacing it with a unified commission structure.

Updated definitions to remove specific references to 'amateur combat sports' and 'professional boxers,' replacing them with broader terms like 'combat sports contestant' and 'contest' to cover all disciplines.

Removed the specific requirement that commission members must include representatives from USA Boxing, Inc., as the commission now oversees all combat sports rather than just boxing.

Changed the effective date of the Act from July 1, 3000, to July 1, 2050, and adjusted the fiscal year for funding appropriation to 2025-2026.

Revised the list of licensed roles to remove 'boxer' and 'physician' specifically, replacing them with 'combat sports contestant' and 'health care provider' to apply universally across all sports.

Repealed Chapter 440E, which previously governed Mixed Martial Arts contests, consolidating all combat sports regulations into the amended Chapter 440.

Renamed the 'State Boxing Commission' to the 'Boxing and Combat Sports Commission' to legally include non-boxing disciplines.

Reorganized the commission into two distinct subcommissions: one for boxing and one for combat sports, each with four members appointed by legislative leaders.

Repealed the specific 'Mixed Martial Arts Contests Program' as it is now subsumed under the broader combat sports regulations.

Changed the effective date for appropriations from fiscal year 2025-2026 to fiscal year 2026-2027.

Updated internal bill identifiers from HD2 to HD3 and adjusted associated metadata dates.

Renamed the commission from 'Combat Sports Commission' to 'Boxing and Combat Sports Commission' to reflect its expanded jurisdiction over all combat sports, not just boxing.

Updated the definition of 'Contest' to remove the requirement that it must be for 'money, prize, purse, or other forms of compensation,' broadening the scope to include exhibitions.

Changed the pre-contest medical examination requirement from 3 hours before the event to 1 hour before, and specified that the examiner must be a licensed physician.

Removed the exemption for 'small combat sports contests' regarding the requirement for an ambulance with paramedics and security personnel.

Added 'licensed' before specific roles (promoter, manager, referee, etc.) in various sections to emphasize that only licensed individuals may perform these duties.

Expanded the list of prohibited crimes for promoters and licensees to include any crime directly related to a person's performance in combat sports.

Reordered the effective date sections and clarified that the appropriation section takes effect on July 1, 2025, while other sections take effect on July 1, 3000.

Repealed the entire Mixed Martial Arts program chapter (440E) and replaced it with new, comprehensive sections within Chapter 440.

The bill renames the 'Boxing Commission' to the 'Combat Sports Commission' and expands its authority to regulate mixed martial arts and other combat sports, repealing the separate Mixed Martial Arts chapter.

New definitions were added for 'combat sports,' 'amateur combat sports contest,' 'small combat sports contest,' and 'licensed health care provider' to clarify regulatory boundaries.

Medical examination requirements were increased from one hour to three hours before a contest, and security requirements were expanded to include ambulance presence and crowd control for all events.

The composition of the commission was changed to include eight members instead of five, with specific requirements for experience in combat sports regulation and representation from USA Boxing.

The effective date for the new commission structure was set to April 1, 2026, while funding provisions take effect immediately on July 1, 2025.

Penalties and disciplinary actions were updated to apply to the new 'combat sports' part of the code rather than the old 'mixed martial arts' chapter, ensuring consistent enforcement across all regulated sports.