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House committee approves moving Athletic Commission out of health department, expands authority to regulate bare‑knuckle and similar events
Summary
A House committee voted to pass House Bill 11 22, which gives the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission its own agency number and adds authority to regulate bare‑knuckle and other informal combat events, including new medical and enforcement provisions.
A committee of the Oklahoma House of Representatives voted to pass House Bill 11 22, a request bill that gives the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission its own agency number and expands the commission’s regulatory authority to cover bare‑knuckle and similar combat events.
Supporters said the change removes the commission from the auspices of the State Department of Health and codifies new medical and enforcement requirements. "It will be, it's a non appropriated bill or it's, there's no fiscal analysis, there's no fiscal cost to this because they're already paying for all of their IT, payroll, anything associated with the agency they're already paying for," Representative Bayshore said when presenting the bill.
The bill includes provisions to update medical requirements for participants, revise blood‑work and physical exam rules, and add unlawful‑acts language aimed at improving enforcement against unsanctioned events, the presenter said. Representative Bayshore told the committee the Attorney General asked the commission to implement rules around unauthorized events and that the bill would also bring regulation to emerging contests such as bare‑knuckle fighting.
Representative Manning asked whether the measure would cover online “slap” contests. "It does, it's something being pushed by the UFC ... it's where 2 people stand in front of each other and actually slap each other," Bayshore replied. "It is something ... that we're about to regulate." Representative Burns pressed on what “sanctioned” means and whether county fairs or informal events could be swept up by the new language; Bayshore said the bill requires events that involve combat sports to be regulated to ensure liability insurance and medical safeguards are in place for participants.
Committee members voted to advance the bill. The clerk recorded the result as 14 aye, 0 nay; the chair declared the bill passed.
The bill originated as a request from the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission and includes new authority for the commission to adopt and enforce rules for combat events not previously regulated by the agency. The committee did not adopt a fiscal note, and presenters said the commission already funds its current payroll and IT services, so they described the statutory separation as administrative rather than an appropriations change.
The committee discussion occurred during the bill’s presentation and question period. No amendments were recorded in the transcript, and the sponsor yielded for questions before the committee vote.
Votes at a glance for this bill: motion to adopt reported by Representative Bayshore; recorded vote 14 aye, 0 nay; outcome: approved by committee.
