BILL NUMBER: AB 161INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Chau JANUARY 21, 2015 An act to add Chapter 2.7 (commencing with Section 18898) to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to athletic trainers. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 161, as introduced, Chau. Athletic trainers. Existing law provides for the regulation of various professions and vocations, including those of an athlete agent. This bill would make it unlawful for any person to hold himself or herself out as an athletic trainer or a certified athletic trainer, or to use specified terms to imply or suggest that the person is an athletic trainer, unless he or she is certified by the Board of Certification, Inc., and has either graduated from a college or university, after completing an accredited athletic training education program, as specified, or completed eligibility requirements for certification by the Board of Certification, Inc., prior to January 1, 2004. The bill would make it an unfair business practice to use the title "athletic trainer," "certified athletic trainer," or other specified terms that imply or suggest that the person is an athletic trainer if he or she does not meet the requirements described above. This bill, notwithstanding these provisions, would authorize a person who has worked as an athletic trainer in California for a period of 20 consecutive years prior to January 1, 2015, and who is not otherwise eligible to use the title "athletic trainer," to use that title. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Chapter 2.7 (commencing with Section 18898) is added to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, to read: CHAPTER 2.7. ATHLETIC TRAINERS 18898. (a) A person shall not hold himself or herself out to be an athletic trainer or a certified athletic trainer, or use the term "AT," "ATC," or "CAT" to imply or suggest that the person is an athletic trainer, unless he or she meets the following requirements: (1) He or she has done either of the following: (A) Graduated from a college or university after completing an athletic training education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, or its predecessors or successors. (B) Completed eligibility requirements for certification by the Board of Certification, Inc., prior to January 1, 2004. (2) He or she is certified by the Board of Certification, Inc. (b) It is an unfair business practice within the meaning of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 17200) of Part 2 of Division 7 for a person to use the title "athletic trainer," "certified athletic trainer" or any other term, such as "certified," "licensed," "registered," "AT," "ATC," or "CAT," that implies or suggests that the person is an athletic trainer, if he or she does not meet the requirements of subdivision (a). 18899. Notwithstanding Section 18898, a person who has worked as an athletic trainer in California for a period of 20 consecutive years prior to January 1, 2015, and who is not otherwise eligible to use the title "athletic trainer," may use the title "athletic trainer."