Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996

Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 - Prohibits persons from arranging, promoting, organizing, producing, or fighting in a professional boxing match held in a State that does not have a boxing commission unless the match is supervised by a boxing commission from another State and subject to the most recent version of the recommended regulatory guidelines certified and published by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) as well as any additional relevant professional boxing regulations and requirements of such other State.

(Sec. 5) Prescribes the following safety standards for such individuals or an alternative requirement in effect under regulations of a commission that provides equivalent protection of the health and safety of boxers: (1) a physical examination of each boxer by a physician certifying whether or not the boxer is physically fit to safely compete, copies of which must be provided to the commission; (2) except as otherwise expressly provided under regulation of a commission promulgated after the enactment of this Act, an ambulance or medical personnel with appropriate resuscitation equipment continuously present on site; (3) a physician continuously present at ringside; and (4) health insurance for each boxer to provide medical coverage for any injuries sustained in the match.

(Sec. 6) Requires each boxer to register with his or her resident State commission or in the case of a boxer who is a resident of a foreign country or a State in which there is no such commission, any State commission.

Directs a commission to issue to each professional boxer who registers in accordance with such provisions an identification card that contains: (1) a recent photograph of the boxer; (2) the social security number of the boxer (or, in case of a foreign boxer, any similar citizen identification number or professional boxer number from the boxer's country of residence); and (3) the personal identification number assigned to the boxer by a boxing registry.

Requires each professional boxer to: (1) renew his or her identification card at least once every two years; and (2) present such card to the appropriate commission by the time of the weigh-in for a professional boxing match.

(Sec. 7) Directs each commission to establish procedures to: (1) evaluate the professional records and physician's certification of each boxer participating in a professional boxing match in the State and to deny authorization for a boxer to fight where appropriate; (2) ensure that no boxer is permitted to box while under suspension from any commission due to a recent knockout or series of consecutive losses, an injury, requirement for a medical procedure, or physician denial of certification, failure of a drug test; or the use of false aliases, or falsifying, or attempting to falsify, official identification cards or documents; (3) review a suspension where appealed by a boxer, including an opportunity for a boxer to present contradictory evidence; and (4) revoke such suspension where a boxer furnishes further proof of a sufficiently improved medical or physical condition or furnishes proof that such suspension was not, or is no longer, merited by the facts.

Authorizes a commission to allow a boxer who is under suspension in any State to participate in a professional boxing match: (1) for reasons other than those listed in this Act if such commission notifies in writing and consults with the designated official of the suspending State's boxing commission before the grant of approval for such individual to participate in such match; or (2) if the boxer appeals to ABC and it determines that the suspension of such boxer was without sufficient grounds, for an improper purpose, or not related to the boxer's health and safety or the purposes of this Act.

(Sec. 8) Requires the results of a professional boxing match and related suspensions to be reported by the supervising commission to each boxer registry within 48 business hours.

(Sec. 9) Prohibits commission members or employees, persons who administer or enforce State boxing laws, or ABC members, from belonging to, contracting with, or receiving compensation from, persons who sanction, arrange, or promote professional boxing matches or who otherwise have a financial interest in an active boxer currently registered with a boxer registry. Excludes for purposes of this Act: (1) funds held in escrow for payment to another person in connection with a professional boxing match; and (2) contracts entered into, or any reasonable compensation received, by a commission to supervise a professional boxing match in another State.

(Sec. 10) Authorizes the U.S. Attorney to bring a civil action in U.S. district court requesting relief to restrain a person from continuing to engage in, sanction, promote, or otherwise participate in a professional boxing match in violation of this Act.

Imposes criminal penalties on: (1) each manager, promoter, matchmaker (i.e., a person that proposes, selects, and arranges the boxers to participate in a professional boxing match), and licensee who knowingly violates or knowingly coerces or causes any other person to violate this Act; and (2) commission members or employees, persons who administer or enforce State boxing law, ABC members, and boxers who knowingly violates this Act.

(Sec. 11) Requires each promoter who intends to hold a professional boxing match in a State that does not have a commission, within 14 days before the intended date of that match, to provide written notification to the supervising commission.

(Sec. 12) Requires a study and report to the Congress by the: (1) Secretary of Labor on the feasibility and cost of a national pension system for boxers, including potential funding sources; and (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services on recommendations for health, safety, and equipment standards for boxers and for professional boxing matches.

(Sec. 13) Authorizes a tribal organization of an Indian tribe to: (1) regulate professional boxing matches held within the reservation under the tribal organization's jurisdiction; and (2) carry out that regulation or enter into a contract with a commission to carry it out.

Requires such organization to establish and provide for the implementation of health and safety standards and other requirements relating to the conduct of professional boxing matches that are at least as restrictive as: (1) the otherwise applicable standards and requirements of a State in which the reservation is located; or (2) the most recent version of the recommended regulatory guidelines published and certified by ABC.

(Sec. 14) Provides that nothing in this Act shall prohibit a State from adopting or enforcing supplemental or more stringent laws or regulations not inconsistent with this Act or criminal, civil, or administrative fines for violations of such laws or regulations.