*See Sec. 19a-88b re renewal of certain professional and occupational licenses, certificates, permits or registrations which become void while the holder is on active duty in the armed forces of the United States.
Sec. 20-65g. License required for practice and use of title.
Sec. 20-65h. Referral to licensed health care provider.
Sec. 20-65i. Exceptions to licensing requirement.
Sec. 20-65j. Qualifications for licensure. Licensure by endorsement.
Sec. 20-65k. License to practice athletic training. Temporary permit. Fees.
Sec. 20-65l. Regulations. Administration within available appropriations.
Sec. 20-65m. Disciplinary action. Grounds.
Sec. 20-65f. Definitions. As used in this chapter:
(1) “Athletic training” means (A) the application, with the consent and under the direction of a health care provider, of care for an athletic injury, including the application or provision of (i) principles, methods and procedures of clinical evaluation, prevention, management, emergency care, treatment, disposition and rehabilitation of athletic injuries, (ii) appropriate preventative and supportive devices, (iii) physical agents, including, but not limited to, heat, cold, light, electric stimulation, manual therapy techniques, aquatic therapy, sound and therapeutic exercise, and (iv) any other physical agent prescribed by a health care provider, (B) the recognition of potential illness and referrals to a health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, (C) the organization and administration of athletic training programs, (D) education and counseling to physically active individuals, coaches, medical personnel and the community in the area of the prevention and care of athletic injuries, and (E) the provision of wellness care services developed for physically active individuals who are free of any underlying pathologies that are beyond the scope of practice of a person who practices athletic training;
(2) “Athletic injury” means any injury sustained as a result of participation in an exercise, a sport, a game, a recreational activity or any other activity that requires a level of strength, flexibility or agility that is comparable to the level of strength, flexibility or agility required for an exercise, a sport, a game or a recreational activity;
(3) “Illness” means any disease, disorder, sickness or affliction that arises from or is a manifestation of a physically active individual's participation in an exercise, a sport, a game, a recreational activity or other activity, or any other condition, that may require immediate intervention by an athletic trainer, acting with the consent and under the direction of a health care provider, during, prior to or following the physically active individual's participation in such exercise, a sport, a game, a recreational activity or other activity, including, but not limited to, the emergent and acute manifestations of exertion related illness, including an affliction of the physically active individual's cardiorespiratory, thermoregulation, musculoskeletal, neurovascular or endocrine system. “Illness” does not include any disease, disorder, sickness or affliction of a physically active individual the treatment of which is beyond the scope of practice, education or training of an athletic trainer;
(4) “Wellness care” means care related to risk management and injury prevention, including biomechanics, conditioning, flexibility, nutrition, strength training and fitness;
(5) “Physically active individual” means any person who is (A) (i) a member of any professional, amateur, school, collegiate or other sports organization, (ii) a regular participant in a sports activity, or (iii) a participant in an exercise, recreational or employment activity that requires strength, agility, flexibility, range of motion, speed or stamina that is comparable to the strength, agility, flexibility, range of motion, speed or stamina required of a regular participant in a sports activity, and (B) deemed healthy by a health care provider;
(6) “With the consent and under the direction of a health care provider” means athletic training provided (A) under a written prescription issued by a health care provider that specifies the plan of care or treatment of a musculoskeletal injury or illness, or (B) with regard to a physically active individual's participation with a professional, amateur, school collegiate or other sports organization, under a standing order issued by a health care provider;
(7) “Standing orders” means written protocols, recommendations or guidelines for treatment and care of a physically active individual who is a member of a professional, amateur, school, collegiate or other sports organization, or of a physically active individual who requires treatment, first aid or care in an emergency situation, that (A) are furnished and signed by a health care provider, (B) are followed by an athletic trainer while performing athletic training with the consent and under the direction of a health care provider, (C) are annually reviewed and renewed by the health care provider and athletic trainer to ensure quality care of a physically active individual, (D) require the availability of ongoing communication between the health care provider and the athletic trainer, and (E) include (i) a plan for emergency situations, (ii) appropriate treatments for specific injuries or illnesses, (iii) instructions for the treatment and management of concussions, (iv) a list of conditions necessitating the immediate referral of a physically active individual to a health care provider under section 20-65h, and (v) a list of conditions that are beyond the scope of practice, education or training of the athletic trainer;
(8) “Health care provider” means any person licensed to practice medicine or surgery under chapter 370, chiropractic under chapter 372, podiatry under chapter 375, naturopathy under chapter 373 or nursing under section 20-94a; and
(9) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Public Health.
(P.A. 00-226, S. 1, 20; P.A. 17-195, S. 1; P.A. 18-48, S. 7.)
History: P.A. 00-226 effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006; P.A. 17-195 redefined “athletic training” in Subdiv. (1), redefined “athletic injury” in Subdiv. (2), added new Subdiv. (3) defining “illness”, added new Subdiv. (4) defining “wellness care”, redesignated existing Subdiv. (3) as Subdiv. (5) and amended same by replacing provisions re definition of athlete with provisions re physically active individual, added Subdiv. (6) defining “with the consent and under the direction of a health care provider”, redesignated existing Subdiv. (4) as Subdiv. (7) and amended same by redefining “standing orders”, added Subdiv. (8) defining “health care provider”, and redesignated existing Subdiv. (5) as Subdiv. (9); P.A. 18-48 amended Subdiv. (5)(A)(iii) by making a technical change, effective May 29, 2018.
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Sec. 20-65g. License required for practice and use of title. (a) Except as provided in section 20-65i, no person may practice athletic training unless such person is licensed pursuant to section 20-65k.
(b) No person may use the title “licensed athletic trainer” or make use of any title, words, letters or abbreviations indicating or implying that such person is licensed to practice athletic training unless such person is licensed pursuant to section 20-65k.
(P.A. 00-226, S. 2, 20.)
History: P.A. 00-226 effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006.
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Sec. 20-65h. Referral to licensed health care provider. (a) Each person who practices athletic training under standing orders shall make a written or oral referral to a licensed health care provider of any physically active individual who has an athletic injury whose symptoms have not improved for a period of four days from the day of onset, or who has any physical or medical condition that would constitute a medical contraindication for athletic training or that may require evaluation or treatment beyond the scope of athletic training.
(b) Each person who practices athletic training, but not under standing orders, may perform initial evaluation, immediate injury management and emergency care of any physically active individual suffering an acute athletic injury or illness and shall, without delay, make a written or oral referral of such physically active individual to a licensed health care provider. The limitations on the practice of athletic training set forth in this subsection shall not apply in the case of any physically active individual that is referred to such person by a licensed health care provider, provided such practice shall be limited to the scope of such referral.
(P.A. 00-226, S. 3, 20; P.A. 17-195, S. 2.)
History: P.A. 00-226 effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006; P.A. 17-195 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “athlete” with “physically active individual” and deleting provision re injuries or conditions requiring referral, amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “and temporary splinting and bracing” with “immediate injury management and emergency care”, replacing “athletic injury” with “acute athletic injury or illness”, and made technical and conforming changes.
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Sec. 20-65i. Exceptions to licensing requirement. A license to practice athletic training shall not be required of: (1) A practitioner who is licensed or certified by a state agency and is performing services within the scope of practice for which such person is licensed or certified; (2) a student enrolled in a course of study in an athletic training program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, or its successor organization, provided the activities of such student are performed under the supervision of a person licensed to practice athletic training and the student is given the title of “athletic training student”, or similar designation; (3) a person employed or volunteering as a coach of amateur sports who provides first aid for athletic injuries to physically active individuals being coached by such person; (4) a person who furnishes assistance in an emergency; or (5) a person who acts as an athletic trainer in this state for less than thirty days per calendar year and who is licensed as an athletic trainer by another state or is certified by the Board of Certification, Inc., or its successor organization.
(P.A. 00-226, S. 4, 20; P.A. 06-195, S. 43; P.A. 17-195, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 00-226 effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006; P.A. 06-195 changed “National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification, Inc.” to “Board of Certification, Inc.” in Subdiv. (5), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 17-195 deleted references to intern or trainee, replaced “pursuing a course of study in athletic training” with “enrolled in a course of study in an athletic training program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, or its successor organization”, replaced reference to “athletic trainer intern” with “athletic training student” and replaced “athletes” with “physically active individuals”.
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Sec. 20-65j. Qualifications for licensure. Licensure by endorsement. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, an applicant for a license to practice athletic training shall have: (1) A baccalaureate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, or from an institution of higher education located outside of the United States that is legally chartered to grant postsecondary degrees in the country in which such institution is located; and (2) current certification as an athletic trainer by the Board of Certification, Inc., or its successor organization.
(b) An applicant for licensure to practice athletic training by endorsement shall present evidence satisfactory to the commissioner (1) of licensure or certification as an athletic trainer, or as a person entitled to perform similar services under a different designation, in another state having requirements for practicing in such capacity that are substantially similar to or higher than the requirements in force in this state, and (2) that there is no disciplinary action or unresolved complaint pending against such applicant.
(P.A. 00-226, S. 5, 20; P.A. 04-221, S. 22; P.A. 06-195, S. 44; P.A. 17-195, S. 4.)
History: P.A. 00-226 effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006; P.A. 04-221 deleted former Subsec. (a)(3) re passage of national examination and changed Subsec. (a)(2) from a description of the required course of study to a requirement of certification, and amended Subsec. (c) by changing the beginning date for licensure from January 1, 2001, to “the effective date of this section” and by making a conforming change, effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006; P.A. 06-195 amended Subsecs. (a) and (c) by changing “National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification, Inc.” to “Board of Certification, Inc.” and amended Subsec. (c) by replacing former provision re ending date for granting athletic trainer licenses to persons who meet less stringent qualifications with “Prior to April 30, 2007”; P.A. 17-195 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to graduate degree and replacing “learning” with “education”, deleted Subsec. (c) re commissioner to grant license prior to April 30, 2007, and made a conforming change.
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Sec. 20-65k. License to practice athletic training. Temporary permit. Fees. (a) The commissioner shall grant a license to practice athletic training to an applicant who presents evidence satisfactory to the commissioner of having met the requirements of section 20-65j. An application for such license shall be made on a form required by the commissioner. The fee for an initial license under this section shall be one hundred ninety dollars.
(b) A license to practice athletic training may be renewed in accordance with the provisions of section 19a-88, provided (1) any licensee applying for license renewal shall maintain certification as an athletic trainer by the Board of Certification, Inc., or its successor organization, and (2) if such licensee practices athletic training in a workplace that is unrelated to a professional, amateur, school, collegiate or other sports organization or a health care facility, such licensee shall provide evidence of having completed (A) the ten-hour Outreach Training Program offered by the United States Occupational Health and Safety Administration for the construction industry or general industry, and (B) not less than forty-five hours of direct supervision by a person licensed to practice athletic training under this section or a licensed health care provider or, in the alternative, a three-credit, college-level course in the prevention, treatment and care of injuries in a workplace setting offered as part of a nationally accredited program of higher learning, as defined in section 10a-34. The fee for such renewal shall be two hundred five dollars.
(c) The department may, upon receipt of an application for athletic training licensure, accompanied by the licensure application fee of one hundred ninety dollars, issue a temporary permit to a person who has met the requirements of subsection (a) of section 20-65j, except that the applicant has not yet sat for or received the results of the athletic training certification examination administered by the Board of Certification, Inc., or its successor organization. Such temporary permit shall authorize the permittee to practice athletic training under the supervision of a person licensed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such practice shall be limited to those settings where the licensed supervisor is physically present on the premises and is immediately available to render assistance and supervision, as needed, to the permittee. Such temporary permit shall be valid for a period not to exceed one hundred twenty calendar days after the date of completion of the required course of study in athletic training and shall not be renewable. Such permit shall become void and shall not be reissued in the event that the permittee fails to pass the athletic training certification examination. No permit shall be issued to any person who has previously failed the athletic training certification examination or who is the subject of an unresolved complaint or pending professional disciplinary action. Violation of the restrictions on practice set forth in this section may constitute a basis for denial of licensure as an athletic trainer.
(d) For registration periods beginning on and after October 1, 2017, a licensee who provides direct patient care services and who is applying for license renewal shall maintain professional liability insurance, or other indemnity against liability for professional malpractice, unless such insurance or other indemnity is provided by the licensee's employer. The amount of insurance that each such licensee shall carry as insurance or indemnity against claims for injury or death for professional malpractice shall not be less than five hundred thousand dollars for one person, per occurrence, with an aggregate of not less than one million five hundred thousand dollars.
(e) For registration periods beginning on and after October 1, 2017, a licensee who practices athletic training in a workplace shall, upon request of his or her employer, make available for review on a quarterly basis, all of such licensee's records of athletic training with a physically active individual.
(P.A. 00-226, S. 6, 20; P.A. 04-221, S. 23; P.A. 06-195, S. 45; P.A. 07-252, S. 57; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 188; P.A. 15-244, S. 114; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 474; P.A. 17-195, S. 5; P.A. 18-48, S. 8.)
History: P.A. 00-226 effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006; P.A. 04-221 amended Subsec. (b) by adding requirement that licensee maintain national certification, effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006 (Revisor's note: In 2005, a reference to “providing” in Subsec. (b) was changed editorially by the Revisors to “provided” for proper form); P.A. 06-195 changed “National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification, Inc.” to “Board of Certification, Inc.” in Subsec. (b), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 07-252 added Subsec. (c) re temporary permit to practice athletic training; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsecs. (a) and (c) to increase fees from $150 to $190 and amended Subsec. (b) to increase fee from $100 to $200; P.A. 15-244 amended Subsec. (b) to increase renewal fee from $200 to $205, effective July 1, 2015; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 changed effective date of P.A. 15-244, S. 114, from July 1, 2015, to October 1, 2015, and applicable to the renewal of a license or certificate that expires on or after that date, effective June 30, 2015; P.A. 17-195 amended Subsec. (b) by designating provisions re licensee applying for license renewal to maintain certification as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re licensees practicing athletic training in workplace unrelated to professional, amateur, school, collegiate or other sports organization or a health care facility, added Subsec. (d) re professional liability insurance, and added Subsec. (e) re making records available for review by the employer; P.A. 18-48 amended Subsec. (d) by making a technical change, effective May 29, 2018.
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Sec. 20-65l. Regulations. Administration within available appropriations. The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to carry out the provisions of this chapter. The commissioner shall administer the provisions of this chapter within available appropriations.
(P.A. 00-226, S. 7, 20.)
History: P.A. 00-226 effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006.
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Sec. 20-65m. Disciplinary action. Grounds. The Department of Public Health may take any action set forth in section 19a-17 if a person issued a license pursuant to section 20-65k fails to conform to the accepted standards of the athletic trainer profession, including, but not limited to, the following: Conviction of a felony; fraud or deceit in the practice of athletic training; illegal, negligent, incompetent or wrongful conduct in professional activities; emotional disorder or mental illness; physical illness including, but not limited to, deterioration through the aging process; abuse or excessive use of drugs, including alcohol, narcotics or chemicals; wilful falsification of entries into any patient record pertaining to athletic training; misrepresentation or concealment of a material fact in the obtaining or reinstatement of an athletic trainer license; or violation of any provisions of this chapter or any regulation adopted under this chapter. The Commissioner of Public Health may order a license holder to submit to a reasonable physical or mental examination if the license holder's physical or mental capacity to practice safely is the subject of an investigation. The commissioner may petition the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford to enforce such order or any action taken pursuant to section 19a-17. Notice of any contemplated action under section 19a-17, the cause of the action and the date of a hearing on the action shall be given and an opportunity for hearing afforded in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.
(P.A. 06-195, S. 46.)
History: P.A. 06-195 effective June 7, 2006.
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