(1) The commission, or the commission representative, shall assign to each match at least one physician who shall observe the physical condition of the participants and advise the commissioner or commission representative in charge and the referee of the participants’ conditions before, during, and after the match. The commission shall establish a schedule of fees for the physician’s services. The physician’s fee shall be paid by the promoter of the match attended by the physician. The physician shall be considered an agent of the commission in determining the state insurance coverage and sovereign immunity protection applicability of ss. 284.31 and 768.28.

(2)(a) In addition to any other required examination, each participant shall be examined by the attending physician at the time of weigh-in. If the physician determines that a participant is physically or mentally unfit to proceed, the physician shall notify any commissioner or the commission representative who shall immediately cancel the match. The examination shall conform to rules adopted by the commission. The result of the examination shall be reported in writing signed by the physician and filed with the commission prior to completion of the weigh-in.

(b) The commission may require, by rule, each participant to present to the commission representative at the time of the weigh-in an original copy of blood test results which demonstrate whether the participant is free from any communicable disease. If required by the commission and the blood test results are not presented as required by commission rule or reveal the participant has a communicable disease, the commission representative shall immediately cancel the match. The commission may adopt, by rule, protocols and procedures for the blood tests and the cancellation of a match, a list of communicable diseases covered by this paragraph, and a time period within which the blood test must be taken prior to the match.

(3)(a) In a match that is a sanctioned championship title fight, or whenever the commission representative has reason to believe that a participant has ingested or used a prohibited drug or foreign substance, the commission representative shall request and the participant shall provide, under the supervision of the attending physician, commission representative, or inspector, a sample or samples of his or her urine taken not less than 1 hour before the commencement of the match or more than 1 hour after the conclusion of the match. No participant shall use substances or methods which could alter the integrity of the urine sample. Urine samples shall be taken in accordance with the protocol as agreed upon in writing between the commission and the laboratory used for processing the urine samples.

(b) The commission may require urine samples, as provided in paragraph (a), to be done randomly. If one participant in a match is tested randomly, the other participant in the match shall be tested also.

(c) A participant who fails or refuses to provide a urine sample immediately upon request shall be considered an immediate serious danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the public and his or her opponent. The license of a participant who fails or refuses to provide a urine sample shall immediately be suspended pursuant to s. 120.60(6), and such failure or refusal is grounds for additional disciplinary action. A participant who is adjudged the winner of a match and who subsequently refuses to or is unable to provide a urine sample forfeits the win. The decision shall be changed to a no-decision result and entered into the official record. The purse shall be redistributed as though the participant found to be in violation of this subsection had lost the match.

(d) A participant who tests positive for a prohibited substance as specified by commission rule shall be considered an immediate serious danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the public and his or her opponent. The license of a participant who tests positive for a prohibited substance shall immediately be suspended pursuant to s. 120.60(6), and the positive test result is grounds for additional disciplinary action.

(4) The attending physician or physicians shall provide medical assistance at the facility to the commission representative and medical advice to the referee during the match and shall be accorded the cooperation of all commission representatives and licensees present for the purpose of performing his or her medical duties. If, in the opinion of the attending physician, the referee has received an injury that prohibits the referee from continuing to officiate, the physician shall notify the commission representative, who shall temporarily halt the match. The injured referee shall be attended to by the physician until the referee is no longer in danger or has been transferred to the care of another qualified person. The commission representative shall then direct that the match continue under the supervision of the referee or under the supervision of another referee if the referee is unable to continue.

History.—ss. 2, 4, ch. 84-246; s. 98, ch. 85-81; s. 8, ch. 88-365; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 767, ch. 97-103; s. 125, ch. 99-251; s. 35, ch. 2001-89; s. 13, ch. 2002-172; s. 9, ch. 2014-128.