Athletic Trainer Amy West, left, helps junior Kaylyn Morgan with an ankle and foot injury from a car accident at Sprague High School in Salem, Ore. (Photo: Anna Reed, Statesman Journal file photo)
The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act, designed to provide protection for athletic trainers who travel out of state with teams to provide care, was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday night.
The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Under the terms of the act, athletic trainers will be covered by their liability insurance when they travel to another state to provide care for teams and will be considered to have satisfied the license requirements of the secondary state where the care is being provided.
The legislation was sponsored by Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Cedric Richmond (D-LA).
“H.R. 921 addresses a unique problem that sports medicine professionals face when traveling with their teams out of state,” Guthrie said in a statement. “There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the legal protection for these practitioners who are licensed and covered by malpractice insurance to practice in their home state, but may not be covered when they travel to another state for a game, tournament or other sporting event. H.R. 921 clarifies that these professionals can provide quality and timely health care for injured athletes without putting their personal and professional lives at risk.”
Added Scott Sailor, president of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association: “NATA is proud to have championed this legislation that will not only benefit our 43,000 members and the millions of patients they serve, but that will also support health care professionals all over the country, including our initial partners in this effort, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM). This is truly a milestone for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the athletic training profession, as well as other health care professions that will benefit from our leadership role in moving this legislation forward.”
