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Committee introduces RS31843 C1 to exempt some charity martial-arts exhibitions from Athletic Commission regulation
Summary
The House Business Committee introduced RS31843 Change 1 to add an exemption for charity combat exhibitions run by tax-exempt organizations; sponsors said the change would allow local fundraisers to proceed without Athletic Commission licensing, while members raised questions about whether the bill text matched its statement of purpose
The House Business Committee on Jan. 15 introduced RS31843 Change 1, a one-line change to the Idaho Athletic Commission rules to create an exemption allowing certain charity martial-arts contests or exhibitions when organized by tax-exempt organizations.
Sponsor Rob Bieswanger (Horseshoe Bend, District 8) told the committee a 2023 charity fight night in Horseshoe Bend raised $24,000 for a veterans memorial park and that organizers sought to repeat the event in 2024 but were told by the Athletic Commission that the events did not meet existing rules. Bieswanger said the bill would add nonprofits (specifically 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) organizations) to the list of existing exemptions such as high-school, college and military contests.
Committee members asked clarifying questions before introduction. Representative Birch observed that the bill’s statement of purpose said the measure would exempt contests from licensing requirements, while the bill text appeared to focus on taxation language; Bieswanger and other legislators clarified the intention was to exempt such charity exhibitions from the chapter of code that covers licensing, permits and related requirements. Representative Mons explained that subsection D (the new text) sits under a chapter that covers duties of the commission including licensing and sanctioning, which supports the sponsor’s explanation that the change exempts these charity events from the commission’s licensing provisions.
Representative Wheeler moved to introduce RS31843 C1; the motion carried. Committee members and sponsors said they would review and, if needed, correct the statement of purpose when the RS returns as a bill for drafting.
