                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT (§ 54.1-831)

The Department shall administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter. In
addition to the powers and duties otherwise conferred by law, the Director shall
have the powers and duties of a regulatory board as contained in §§ 54.1-201
and 54.1-202, and shall have the power and duty to:

1. Promulgate regulations in accordance with the Administrative Process Act
(&#xA7; 2.2-4000 et seq.) which implement the federal Professional Boxing Safety
Act of 1996 (15 U.S.C. &#xA7; 6301 et seq.) and protect the public against
incompetent, unqualified, unscrupulous or unfit persons engaging in the
activities regulated by this chapter.
			The regulations shall include requirements for (i) initial authorization and
renewal of the authorization; (ii) authorization and conduct of events; (iii)
standards of practice for persons arranging, promoting, conducting, supervising,
and participating in events; (iv) grounds for disciplinary actions against
regulants; (v) records to be kept and maintained by regulants; (vi) the manner
in which fees are to be accounted for and submitted to the Department, provided,
however, that no gate fee shall be required for amateur-only events conducted by
a sanctioning organization approved by the Director pursuant to &#xA7;
54.1-829.1; and (vii) minimum health coverage for injuries sustained in a boxing
or martial arts match. The Department shall have direct oversight of
professional events to assure the safety and well-being of boxers, martial
artists, and professional wrestlers, except that those portions of an event
containing amateur bouts shall be conducted under the oversight of a sanctioning
organization. Sanctioning organizations shall have sole responsibility for
direct oversight of amateur-only events in which martial artists compete.

2. Charge each applicant for authorization and for renewals of authorization a
nonrefundable fee subject to the provisions of &#xA7; 54.1-113 and subdivision A
4 of &#xA7; 54.1-201. A sanctioning organization shall be subject to the
application fee provisions of subsection D of &#xA7; 54.1-829.1.

3. Conduct investigations to determine the suitability of applicants for
authorization and to determine the regulant&#8217;s compliance with applicable
statutes and regulations.

4. Conduct investigations as to whether monopolies, combinations, or other
circumstances exist to restrain matches or exhibition bouts of boxing, martial
arts, or professional wrestling anywhere in the Commonwealth. The Attorney
General may assist investigations at the request of the Department.

5. Exercise jurisdiction over all boxing, martial arts, and professional
wrestling conducted within the Commonwealth by any person, except where
otherwise exempted.

HISTORY: 1998, c. 895; 2010, c. 764; 2012, c. 769; 2015, cc. 216, 264; 2016, c.
756; 2025, cc. 95, 111.