HB 538: Revise the law governing the Ohio Athletics Commission

Ohio · House · 136th General Assembly (2025–2026) · last verified September 25, 2026

What HB 538 does, verified September 25, 2026

The bill creates the Ohio Athletic Commission, a part of the Department of Commerce for administrative purposes. The commission consists of five voting members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate, and two nonvoting members. The commission's duties include prescribing conditions for prize fights and public boxing or wrestling matches or exhibitions, classifying professional boxers by weight, and providing for the administration of athlete agents. The commission will be headed by an administrator, who is appointed by the director of commerce. The administrator will serve at the pleasure of the director. The commission's rules and regulations will be adopted and amended in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Revised Code. The bill also appropriates $1 million to the athletic commission for carrying out its responsibilities. The appropriation will be used to c…

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Last action: Referred to committee: General Government (2025-10-29)Alert me

Author and sponsors

Rep. Jamie CallenderAuthor · Ohio House of Representatives

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Coauthors

Beryl Piccolantonio

Recent actions2 total · showing 2

Oct. 29, 2025	Referred to committee: General Government
Oct. 21, 2025	Introduced

Latest bill textIntroduced version, October 22, 2025 · 1,853 words

Ohio Athletics Commission Bill

H.B. No. 538 - 136th General Assembly - 2025-2026

To amend sections $3773.33, 3773.34, 3773.35, $3773.36, 3773.37, 3773.38, 3773.39, 3773.40, $3773.41, 3773.42, 3773.421, 3773.43, 3773.45, $3773.51, 3773.52, 3773.53, 3773.54, 3773.55, $3773.56, 3773.57, 3773.59, 4771.02, 4771.05, $4771.07, 4771.08, 4771.09, 4771.10, 4771.11, $4771.12, 4771.13, 4771.14, 4771.16, 4771.18, $4771.21, 4771.22, and 4771.23 of the Revised Code to place the Ohio Athletics Commission within the Department of Commerce, to modify the Commission's functions, and to make an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That sections $3773.33, 3773.34, 3773.35, $3773.36, 3773.37, 3773.38, 3773.39, 3773.40, $3773.41, 3773.42, 3773.421, 3773.43, 3773.45, $3773.51, 3773.52, 3773.53, 3773.54, 3773.55, $3773.56, 3773.57, 3773.59, 4771.02, 4771.05, $4771.07, 4771.08, 4771.09, 4771.10, 4771.11, $4771.12, 4771.13, 4771.14, 4771.16, 4771.18, $4771.21, 4771.22, and 4771.23 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 3773.33.

(A) There is hereby created the Ohio Athletic commission, which is a part of the department of commerce for administrative purposes. The director of commerce shall appoint an employee of the department as the administrator of athletics to act as executive officer of the commission. The administrator shall serve at the pleasure of the director. The commission shall consist of five voting members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate, not more than three of whom shall be of the same political party, and two nonvoting members, one of whom shall be a member of the senate appointed by and to serve at the pleasure of the president of the senate and one of whom shall be a member of the house of representatives appointed by and to serve at the pleasure of the speaker of the house of representatives. To be eligible for appointment as a voting member, a person shall be a qualified elector and a resident of the state for not less than five years immediately preceding the person's appointment. Two voting members shall be knowledgeable in boxing and mixed martial arts. One commission member shall hold the degree of doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy. (B) No person shall be appointed to the commission or be an employee of the commission who is licensed, registered, or regulated by the commission. No member shall have any legal or beneficial interest, direct or indirect, pecuniary or otherwise, in any person who is licensed, registered, or regulated by the commission or who participates in prize fights or public boxing or wrestling matches or exhibitions. No member shall participate in any fight, match, or exhibition other than in the member's official capacity as a member of the commission, or as an inspector as authorized in section 3773.52 of the Revised Code. (C) The governor shall appoint the voting members to the commission. Of the initial appointments, two shall be for terms ending one year after September 3, 1996, two shall be for terms ending two years after September 3, 1996, and one shall be for a term ending three years after September 3, 1996. Thereafter, terms of office shall be for three years, each term ending the same day of the same month of the year as did the term which it succeeds. Each member shall hold office from the date of the member's appointment until the end of the term for which the member was appointed. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of the term. Any member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term until the member's successor takes office. The governor shall name one voting member as chairperson of the commission at the time of making the appointment of any member for a full term. Three voting members shall constitute a quorum, and the affirmative vote of the majority of voting members shall be necessary for any action taken by the commission. No vacancy on the commission impairs the authority of the remaining members to exercise all powers of the commission. Voting members, when engaged in commission duties, shall receive a per diem compensation determined in accordance with division (J) of section 124.15 of the Revised Code, and all members shall receive their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. Each voting member, before entering upon the discharge of the member's duties, shall file a surety bond payable to the treasurer of state in the sum of ten thousand dollars. Each surety bond shall be conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of the office, executed by a surety company authorized to transact business in this state, and filed in the office of the secretary of state. The governor may remove any voting member for malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in office after giving the member a copy of the charges against the member and affording the member an opportunity for a public hearing, at which the member may be represented by counsel, upon not less than ten days' notice. If the member is removed, the governor shall file a complete statement of all charges made against the member and the governor's finding on the charges in the office of the secretary of state, together with a complete report of the proceedings. The governor's decision shall be final.

Sec. 3773.34.

(A) The Ohio athletic commission shall adopt and may amend or rescind rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, prescribing the conditions under which prize fights and public boxing or wrestling matches or exhibitions may be conducted, classifying professional boxers by weight, and providing for the administration of sections 3773.31 to 3773.57 of the Revised Code. The rules may require that an applicant for a contestant's license to participate in a public boxing match or exhibition take an HIV test, as defined in section 3701.24 of the Revised Code, before being issued the contestant's license and may require that a licensed contestant take such an HIV test before participating in a public boxing match or exhibition. The commission, or the commission's executive director administrator of athletics when authorized by the commission, may issue, deny, suspend, or revoke permits to hold prize fights and public boxing or wrestling matches or exhibitions. The commission, or the administrator when authorized by the commission, may issue, deny, suspend, or revoke licenses to persons engaged in any public boxing match or exhibition as authorized by sections 3773.31 to 3773.57 of the Revised Code. (B) In addition to the duties set forth in this chapter, the Ohio athletic commission and the administrator shall take action as necessary to carry out the provisions of Chapter 4771. of the Revised Code governing athlete agents. (C) On or before the thirty-first day of December of each year, the commission shall make a report to the governor of its proceedings for the year ending on the first day of December of that calendar year, and may include in the report any recommendations pertaining to its duties.

Section 2. That existing sections 3773.33, 3773.34, 3773.35, 3773.36, 3773.37, 3773.38, 3773.39, 3773.40, 3773.41, 3773.42, 3773.421, 3773.43, 3773.45, 3773.51, 3773.52, 3773.53, 3773.54, 3773.55, 3773.56, 3773.57, 3773.59, 4771.02, 4771.05, 4771.07, 4771.08, 4771.09, 4771.10, 4771.11, 4771.12, 4771.13, 4771.14, 4771.16, 4771.18, 4771.21, 4771.22, and 4771.23 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

Section 3. All items in this act are hereby appropriated as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the credit of the designated fund. For all operating appropriations made in this act, those in the first column are for fiscal year 2026 and those in the second column are for fiscal year 2027. The operating appropriations made in this act are in addition to any other operating appropriations made for these fiscal years.

Section 4. A COM DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

B Dedicated Purpose Fund Group

C 4K90 800633 Athletic Commission $1,000,000 $0

D Dedicated Purpose Fund Group Total $1,000,000 $0

E TOTAL ALL BUDGET FUND GROUPS $1,000,000 $0

ATHLETIC COMMISSION

The foregoing appropriation item 800633, Athletic Commission, shall be used to carry out the responsibilities of the Athletic Commission.

CASH TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL REVENUE FUND TO THE OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING AND REGULATORY FUND

On the effective date of this section, or as soon as possible thereafter, the Director of Budget and Management shall transfer $1,000,000 cash from the General Revenue Fund to the Occupational Licensing and Regulatory Fund (Fund 4K90).

Any unexpended and unencumbered portion of the foregoing appropriation item 800633, Athletic Commission, remaining at the end of fiscal year 2026 is hereby reappropriated for the same purpose in fiscal year 2027.

Section 5. Within the limits set forth in this act, the Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation made in this act, and shall determine the manner in which appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from operating appropriations contained in this act shall be accounted for as though made in, and are subject to all applicable provisions of, H.B. 96 of the 136th General Assembly.

Section 6. (A) With respect to any business commenced but not completed by the Executive Director of the Ohio Athletic Commission on the effective date of this section, that business shall be completed by the Director of Commerce or the Administrator of Athletics in the same manner, and with the same effect, as if completed by the Executive Director.

(B) Wherever the Executive Director is referred to in any law, contract, or other document, the reference shall be deemed to refer to the Director or the Administrator.

(1) Subject to the lay-off provisions of sections 124.321 to 124.328 of the Revised Code, all of the Commission's employees are transferred to the Department of Commerce and retain their positions and all of the benefits accruing thereto.

(2) All of the Commission's employment records, equipment, and assets shall be transferred to the Department.

(D) Any action or proceeding pending on the effective date of this section shall be prosecuted or defended in the name of the Director or the Administrator. In all such actions and proceedings, the Director or Administrator, on application to the court, shall be substituted as a party.

Section 7. Sections 1, 2, and 6 of this act take effect ninety days after the effective date of this section.

Section 8. Beginning on the effective date of this section, the number of regulatory restrictions permitted in this state pursuant to section 121.953 of the Revised Code shall be increased by the number of regulatory restrictions contained in rules adopted by the Ohio Athletic Commission that are in effect on the effective date of this section.

End of Document

Text of HB 538 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions