MMA Bill Moving Through Connecticut Legislature, Passes in Second Committee

A bill to legalize the sport in the state has been passed by two legislative committees in the last two months. Co-sponsored by Representative Charles D. Clemons and Senator Gary D. LeBeau, the bill was introduced by the General Assembly’s Public Safety and Security Committee on March 1 and passed on March 13.

Bill No. 326 was then referred by the Senate to the Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding on April 10, and that committee passed the bill by a vote of 46-4 on Monday. Today, the bill was once again tabled for the Senate’s calendar.

In order for the bill to become law, the bill must first pass through a series of committees. Once it passes through the final committee, the bill will then be brought before the Senate for a vote. The bill must then be passed by the House of Representatives. If both the Senate and the House pass the bill after amendments are introduced, it is then sent to the governor, who has the option to either sign or veto the bill.

Just four states with athletic commissions do not regulate MMA, including Connecticut, New York, Montana and Vermont. Though a bill to legalize MMA in New York died before receiving a vote in the State Assembly in each of the last two years, the bill is once again being considered by legislators in 2012. While MMA is legal in Alaska, no governmental body exists to regulate the sport.

MMA events held in Connecticut must currently take place at either Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard or Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, as they operate under the authority of sovereign Native American tribes. Bellator Fighting Championships has frequented Mohegan Sun Arena during its three-year existence, visiting the casino six times to date.