68-115-107 - Disposition of funds Fees, taxes and penalties Development of combat sports programs. - Tennessee Statutes

68-115-107. Disposition of funds Fees, taxes and penalties Development of combat sports programs.

(a)  (1)  All fees and taxes collected by the administrator or the Tennessee athletic commission pursuant to this chapter shall be deposited by the state treasurer in a separate account exclusively for the athletic commission, and shall be used by the athletic commission to defray expenses necessary to administer this chapter, including the payment of salaries to employees, the purchase of supplies and any other necessary expenses. All funds placed in the account during the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 fiscal years shall remain in the account and shall not revert to the general fund at the end of those fiscal years, but shall remain available for use by the commission. Beginning with the 2010-2011 fiscal year and thereafter, the commissioner of finance and administration shall determine the amount of funds to remain in the account at the end of the fiscal year to be used by the commission, which amount shall not revert to the general fund at the end of the fiscal year. Such amount shall not be less than an amount sufficient to pay the average cost of operating the commission over a two-year period.

     (2)  Penalties imposed by the athletic commission shall be deposited into the state general fund.

          (A)  Beginning with the 2010-2011 fiscal year and thereafter, not more than fifty percent (50%) of the amount as determined by the commissioner of finance and administration in accordance with this subsection (a) shall be appropriated by the general assembly in the general appropriations act, for a grant program to be established by the Tennessee higher education commission for the purpose of developing and maintaining combat sports programs within postsecondary educational institutions in this state that participate in NCAA, Division 1 sanctioned sports programs.

          (B)  As used in subdivision (a)(2)(A), “combat sports” means those sports included collectively in the interdisciplinary sport known as mixed martial arts and shall include, but not be limited to, boxing, jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, kickboxing, and wrestling.

          (C)  The Tennessee higher education commission shall, in collaboration with the athletic directors of each such postsecondary educational institution located in this state, develop the grant program in such a manner to give each such institution a fair opportunity to apply for and receive any available annual grants.

(b)  This chapter shall not be construed to constitute an appropriation of funds. Funds within the account shall be expended pursuant to the general appropriations act consistent with the policies set forth in subsection (a).

[Acts 2008, ch. 1149, § 2.]