California Senate Bill SB1273 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 1273AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 9, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Senator Lowenthal  (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member   Fong   )  FEBRUARY 23, 2012 An act to add Chapter 5.8 (commencing with Section 2697.2) to Division 2 of, and to repeal Section 2697.8 of, the Business and Professions Code, relating to athletic trainers. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1273, as amended, Lowenthal. Athletic trainers. Existing law provides for the regulation of various professions and vocations, including those of an athlete agent. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2013, provide for the licensure and regulation of athletic trainers, as defined, by an Athletic Trainer Licensing Committee, to be established by the bill within the  State Athletic Commission.   Physical Therapy Board of California.  Under the bill, the committee would be comprised of 8 members, as specified, appointed by the Governor, subject to Senate confirmation,  the Physical Therapy Board of California,  the Senate Committee on Rules, and the Speaker of the Assembly. The bill would, except as specified, prohibit a person from practicing as an athletic trainer or using certain titles without a license issued by the committee. The bill would require an applicant for licensure to meet certain educational requirements, pass a specified examination, hold specified athletic trainer certification, possess emergency cardiac care certification, and submit an application and pay fees established by the committee. The bill would specify that a license shall be valid for  3   2  years and is subject to renewal upon the completion of specified requirements including the payment of a renewal fee. The bill would define the practice of athletic training and prescribe supervision and other requirements on athletic trainers. The bill would create the Athletic Trainers Account, within the  Contingent Fund of the State Athletic Commission,   Physical Therapy Fund,  would direct the deposit of the application and renewal fees into this account, and would make those fees available to the committee subject to appropriation by the Legislature. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) California is one of only three states that does not currently regulate the practice of athletic training. This continued lack of regulation creates the risk that individuals who have lost or are unable to obtain licensure in another state will come to California to practice, thereby putting the public in danger and degrading the standards of the profession as a whole. (b) There is a pressing and immediate need to regulate the profession of athletic training in order to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. This need is particularly important because athletic trainers often work with schoolage children. SEC. 2. Chapter 5.8 (commencing with Section 2697.2) is added to Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, to read: CHAPTER 5.8. ATHLETIC TRAINERS 2697.2. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Athletic Trainers Practice Act. 2697.4. For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply: (a) "Athletic trainer" means a person who meets the requirements of this chapter and is licensed by the committee. (b) "Board" means the  Medical   Physical Therapy  Board of California. (c) "Committee" means the Athletic Trainer Licensing Committee. 2697.6. (a) No person shall engage in the practice of athletic training unless licensed pursuant to this chapter. (b) No person shall use the title "athletic trainer," "licensed athletic trainer," "certified athletic trainer," "athletic trainer certified," "a.t.," "a.t.l.," "c.a.t.," "a.t.c.," or any other variation of these terms, or any other similar terms indicating that the person is an athletic trainer unless that person is licensed pursuant to this chapter. (c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), a person who practiced athletic training in California for a period of  seven   15  consecutive years prior to January 1, 2013,  and is not eligible for an athletic training license  may use the title "athletic trainer" without being licensed by the  committee.   committee, upon registration with the board.  However, on and after January 1, 2016, no person may use the title "athletic trainer" unless he or she is licensed by the committee pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. 2697.8. (a) There is established an Athletic Trainer Licensing Committee within the  State Athletic Commission   Physical Therapy Board of California  . The committee shall consist of eight members. (b) The eight committee members shall include the following: (1) Four licensed athletic trainers. Initially, the committee shall include four athletic trainers who have satisfied the requirements of subdivision (a) of Section 2697.12 and who will satisfy the remainder of the licensure requirements described in Section 2697.12 as soon as it is practically possible. (2) One public member. (3) Two licensees  , in any combination,  chosen from the following: physicians and surgeons licensed by the  board   Medical Board of California  or osteopathic physicians and surgeons licensed by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. (4) One  member from the State Athletic Commission   licensed physical therapist  . (c) Subject to confirmation by the Senate, the Governor shall appoint two of the licensed athletic trainers, the public member, and the physicians and surgeons or osteophathic physicians and surgeons as described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b). The Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly shall each appoint a licensed athletic trainer.  The Physical Therapy Board of California shall appoint the licensed physical therapist.  (d) (1) All appointments shall be for a term of four years and shall expire on June 30 of the year in which the term expires. Vacancies shall be filled for any unexpired term. (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), for initial appointments made on or after January 1, 2013, the public member appointed by the Governor shall serve a term of one year.  Two of the   The two  athletic trainers appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly shall serve terms of three years, and the remaining members shall serve terms of four years. (e) Each member of the committee shall receive per diem and expenses as provided in Section 103. (f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2018, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends that date. The repeal of this section renders the committee subject to the review required by Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 9147.7) of the Government Code. 2697.10. (a) The committee shall adopt, repeal, and amend regulations as may be necessary to enable it to carry into effect the provisions of this chapter. All regulations shall be in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. (b) In promulgating regulations, the committee may consult the professional standards issued by the National Athletic Trainers' Association  (NATA)  , the NATA  Board of Certification, Inc.,  the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education,  or any other nationally recognized professional  association.   organization.  (c) The committee shall approve programs for the education and training of athletic trainers. (d) Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the committee in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions. Whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted, the protection of the public shall be paramount. 2697.12. The committee shall issue an athletic trainer license to an applicant who meets all of the following requirements: (a) Has submitted an application developed by the committee that includes evidence that the applicant has completed athletic trainer certification eligibility requirements from an athletic training education program at a four-year college or university approved by the committee. (b) Has passed an athletic training certification examination offered by  the NATA Board of Certification, Inc., its predecessors   or successors, or  a nationally accredited athletic trainer certification agency approved by the committee. (c) Holds current athletic training certification from  the NATA Board of Certification, Inc., its predecessors or successors, or  a nationally accredited athletic trainer certification agency approved by the committee. (d) Possesses an emergency cardiac care certification from a certification body, approved by the committee, that adheres to the most current international guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiac care. (e) Has paid the application fee established by the committee. 2697.14. A license issued by the committee pursuant to Section 2697.12 shall be valid for  three   two  years and thereafter shall be subject to the renewal requirements described in Sections 2697.16 and 2697.18. 2697.16. The committee shall establish license application and renewal fees in an amount sufficient to cover the reasonable regulatory costs of carrying out the provisions of this chapter. 2697.18. The committee shall renew a license if an applicant meets all of the following requirements: (a) Pays the renewal fee as established by the committee.  (b) Submits proof of satisfactory completion of continuing education, as determined by the committee.   (c)   (b)  Submits proof of current emergency cardiac care certification meeting the requirements of subdivision  (c)   (d)  of Section 2697.12.  (d)   (c)  Demonstrates that his or her license is otherwise in good standing, including, that the applicant for renewal possesses a current, unencumbered certification from  the NATA Board of Certification, Inc., its   predecessors or successors, or  a nationally accredited athletic trainer certification agency approved by the committee. 2697.20. (a) The practice of athletic training is the professional treatment of a patient for risk management and injury  and illness  prevention; the clinical evaluation and assessment of a patient for an injury or  illness,   an illness sustained or exacerbated while participating in physical activity,  or both; the immediate care and treatment of a patient for an injury or  illness,   an illness sustained or exacerbated while participating in physical activity,  or both; and the rehabilitation and reconditioning of a  patient's   patient from injury  or illness,   or from an illness sustained or exacerbated while participating in physical activity,  or both. An athletic trainer shall refer a patient to an appropriate licensed health care provider when the treatment or management of the injury, illness, or condition  is   does  not  fall  within the  scope of practice   education, training, and experience  of an athletic trainer. (b) No licensee shall provide, offer to provide, or represent that he or she is qualified to provide any treatment that he or she is not qualified to perform by his or her education, training, or experience, or that he or she is otherwise prohibited by law from performing. (c) Nothing in this chapter shall authorize an athletic trainer to perform grade 5 joint mobilizations. (d) An athletic trainer shall render treatment  within his or her scope of practice  under the direction of a physician and surgeon licensed by the  board   Medical Board of California  or an osteopathic physician and surgeon licensed by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. This direction shall be provided by verbal order when the directing physician and surgeon or osteopathic physician and surgeon is present and by written order or by athletic training treatment plans or protocols, to be established by the physician and surgeon or osteopathic physician and surgeon, when the directing physician and surgeon or osteopathic physician and surgeon is not present. (e) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law and consistent with the provisions of this chapter, the committee may establish other alternative mechanisms for the adequate  supervision   direction  of an athletic trainer. 2697.22. The requirements of this chapter do not apply to the following: (a) An athletic trainer licensed  , certified, or registered  in another state who is in California temporarily  , traveling with a team or organization,  to engage in the practice of athletic training for, among other things, an athletic or sporting event. (b) An athletic trainer licensed, certified, or registered in another state who is invited by a sponsoring organization, such as the United States Olympic  Training Center   Committee  , to temporarily provide athletic training services under his or her state's scope of practice. (c) A student enrolled in an athletic training education program, while participating in educational activities  during the course of his or her educational rotations  under the supervision and guidance of an athletic trainer licensed under this  chapter.   chapter or   other licensed health care provider.  (d) A member  or employee  of the United States Armed Forces, licensed, certified, or registered in another state, as part of his or her  temporary  federal  deployment or  employment in California for a limited time. 2697.24. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to limit, impair, or otherwise apply to the practice of any person licensed and regulated under any other chapter of Division 2 (commencing with Section 500). 2697.26. The committee may order the denial of an application for, or the issuance subject to terms and conditions of, or the suspension or revocation of, or the imposition of probationary conditions upon an athletic trainer's license after a hearing for unprofessional conduct that includes, but is not limited to, a violation of this chapter or the regulations adopted by the committee pursuant to this chapter. 2697.28. There is established in the  Contingent Fund of the State Athletic Commission   Physical Therapy Fund  the Athletic Trainers Account. All fees collected pursuant to this chapter shall be paid into the account. These fees shall be available to the committee, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the regulatory purpose of carrying out the provisions of this chapter. 2697.30. This chapter shall become operative on January 1, 2013.