BILL NUMBER: AB 374	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hayashi

                        FEBRUARY 14, 2011

   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, and making an
appropriation therefor.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 374, as introduced, Hayashi. 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 Medical Board of California. Under the bill, the committee
would be comprised of 7 members, as specified, appointed by the
Governor, subject to Senate confirmation, the Senate Committee on
Rules, and the Speaker of the Assembly. The bill would 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, 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 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 Medical Board of California, would direct the deposit of
the application and renewal fees into this account, and would
continuously appropriate those funds to the committee for purposes of
the act.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. 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 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.
   2697.8.  (a) There is established an Athletic Trainer Licensing
Committee within the Medical Board of California. The committee shall
consist of seven members.
   (b) The seven 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 physicians and surgeons licensed by the board or two
osteopathic physicians and surgeons licensed by the Osteopathic
Medical Board of California, or one of each.
   (c) Subject to confirmation by the Senate, the Governor shall
appoint two of the licensed athletic trainers and the public member.
The Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly shall
each appoint a licensed athletic trainer and a physician and surgeon
or an osteopathic physician and surgeon as described in paragraph (3)
of subdivision (b).
   (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 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, the Board of Certification, Inc., or any other
nationally recognized professional association.
   (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 done either of the
following:
   (1) Graduated from a college or university after completing an
athletic training education program approved by the committee and
accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training
Education or its predecessors or successors.
   (2) Completed certification eligibility requirements for an
athletic training certification program approved by the committee and
available through the Board of Certification, Inc., its predecessors
or successors, or another other nationally recognized and accredited
athletic training certification agency.
   (b) Has passed an examination approved by the committee, such as
the examination offered by the Board of Certification, Inc., its
predecessors or successors, or another examination offered by another
nationally recognized and accredited athletic training certification
agency.
   (c) 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.
   (d) 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 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) Submits proof of current emergency cardiac care certification
meeting the requirements of subdivision (c) of Section 2697.12.
   (d) Demonstrates that his or her license is otherwise in good
standing including, if applicable, that the applicant for renewal
satisfies the requirements described in paragraph (2) of subdivision
(a) of Section 2697.12.
   2697.20.  (a) The practice of athletic training is the
professional treatment of a patient for risk management and injury
prevention, the clinical evaluation and assessment of a patient for
an injury or illness or both, the immediate care and treatment of a
patient for an injury or illness or both, and the rehabilitation and
reconditioning of a patient's injury or illness or both.
   (b) An athletic trainer shall render treatment under the direction
of a physician and surgeon licensed by the board or an osteopathic
physician and surgeon licensed by the Osteopathic Medical Board of
California who shall order and oversee the athletic trainer and shall
be responsible for the athletic training activities performed by the
athletic trainer. 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, when the directing physician and surgeon or osteopathic
physician and surgeon is not present.
   (c) 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 of an
athletic trainer.
   (d) 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
   2697.22.  The requirements of this chapter do not apply to an
athletic trainer licensed in another state who is in California for a
limited time to engage in the practice of athletic training for,
among other things, an athletic or sport event.
   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
Medical Board of California the Athletic Trainers Account. All fees
collected pursuant to this chapter shall be paid into the account.
Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, funds in the
account shall be continuously appropriated to the committee for the
regulatory purpose of carrying out the provisions of this chapter.
   2697.30.  This chapter shall become operative on January 1, 2013.