SB 502

ATHLETIC TRAINERS Present law prohibits a person from representing themselves or claiming to be an athletic trainer or to perform, for compensation, any of the activities of an athletic trainer without first obtaining a license. An athletic trainer is a person with speci fic qualifications. This bill revises the definition of "athletic trainer"" so that an athletic trainer is not just a person with specific qualifications but, rather, a healthcare provider with the qualifications prescribed in this bill. Present law provides, upon the advice, consent and oral or written prescriptions or referrals of a physician licensed under one of the professions of the healing arts, an athletic trainer carries out the practice of prevention, recognition, evaluation, m anagement, disposition, treatment, or rehabilitation of athletic injuries. Athletic injuries are injuries sustained as a result of a person's participation in exercises, sports, games, or recreation requiring physical strength, agility, flexibility, rang e of motion, speed, or stamina, or comparable athletic injury that prevents such person from participating in such activities. This bill revises the definition of ""athletic injury"" to include not just injuries but conditions that limit or prevent a person' s participation in such above-listed activities, or other activities requiring physical strength, agility, flexibility, range of motion, speed, or stamina, or a condition that prevents the person from participating in such activities. In carrying out these functions, present law authorizes an athletic trainer to use physical modalities, such as heat, light, sound, cold, electricity, or mechanical devices related to prevention, recognition, evaluation, management, disposition, rehabili tation, and treatment. This bill removes mechanical devices and adds that an athletic trainer is authorized to use manual techniques, therapeutic devices, and healthcare procedures. ""Healthcare procedures"" are courses of action intended to achieve a res ul t in the delivery of health care, including rectal core thermometer administration, blood glucose monitoring, injection administration, wound closure, dry needling application, and intravenous fluid administration. ATHLETIC TRAINING STUDENTS Present law authorizes a person to serve without a license as a student-trainer, or any similar position, if such service is not primarily for compensation and is carried out under the supervision of a licensed athletic trainer or a licensed physician wi thin the professions of the healing arts. Such supervision must be provided under the guidelines of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Board of Certification, Inc. and/or approved by the board of athletic trainers (""board""). This bill, i ns tead, requires a supervising physician to be licensed by the board of medical examiners or the board of osteopathic examination. This bill further requires such supervision to be provided under the guidelines of the Board of Certification for the Athleti c Trainer, Inc. (BOC) and approved by the board. Present law authorizes persons who are certified by the board as athletic trainers on May 9, 2000 to practice as licensed athletic trainers, provided such persons meet all of the other requirements. This bill removes this provision. QUALIFICATIONS Present law generally requires an applicant for an athletic trainer license to possess all of the following qualifications:  Meet the athletic training curriculum requirements of a college or university approved by the board, providing proof of graduation.  Satisfactorily complete all of the NATA Board of Certification, Inc. qualifications.  Be certified as an athletic trainer in good standing by the NATA Board of Certification, Inc. or approved by the board. This bill changes each reference of the NATA Board of Certification, Inc. to the BOC. This bill further changes the final condition listed above so that an athletic trainer must be both certified as an athletic trainer in good standing by the BOC and ap proved by the board. The same qualifications are required for license renewal. OUT-OF-STATE APPLICANTS Present law requires an out-of-state applicant to possess all qualifications listed above. Upon receipt of the initial athletic trainer licensure fee, the board may grant, without examination, a license to any qualified nonresident athletic trainer who holds a valid license or certificate issued by another state and whose qualifications are deemed by the board to be at least equivalent to those required for licensure in this state. However, such other state must extend the same privilege to qualified a th letic trainers who are residents of this state. An out-of-state applicant from a state not having a licensure or certification act will be eligible to take the jurisprudence examination if certified by the NATA Board of Certification, Inc., and approved by the board. This bill changes the NATA Board of Certification, Inc. to the BOC and clarifies that only an out-of-state applicant not having a current licensure or certification act or an expired license or certificate in good standing at time of expiration will be e ligible to take the jurisprudence examination if certified by the BOC and approved by the board. ON MARCH 26, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 502, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 makes the following changes:  Clarifies that ""athletic injury"" means any injury sustained by a person as a result of such person's participation in exercises, sports, games, or recreation requiring physical strength, agility, flexibility, range of motion, speed, or stamina, or comparable athletic injury that prevents such person from participating in such activities.  Provides that an athletic trainer is authorized to use mechanical devices in carrying out the practice of prevention, recognition, evaluation, management, disposition, treatment, or rehabilitation of athletic injuries. However, this amendment removes the authority to use manual techniques.  Clarifies that an athletic trainer is authorized to administer a rectal thermometer only in an emergent situation.  Clarifies that wound closure is limited to the closure of a superficial laceration using a dermal adhesive pursuant to a written or oral standing order from a physician.  Clarifies that subcutaneous or intramuscular injection administration is limited to the following medications: (i) epinephrine 1:1000, in liquid medication form or in an auto-injector device, for treatment of anaphylaxis; (ii) naloxone, for treatment of drug overdose; (iii) glucagon, for treatment of diabetic emergency; (iv) flu vaccine, administered to a person nine or older; (v) lidocaine, 1% or 2%, with or without epinephrine; and (vi) intravenous injection administration of dextrose 50% and 25% for use in a diabetic emergency or saline solution and lactated Ringer's solution. However, intravenous injection administration must only be done with proper training and education, including a minimum of four continuing education hours or coursework from a degree program showing education and understanding of intravenous administration.  Provides that the bill does not authorize an athletic trainer to engage in the practice of medicine, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, chiropractic, physical therapy, or nursing."