04/16/2024 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

           HB 336-ATHLETIC TRAINER SCOPE OF PRACTICE                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:36:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 336, "An  Act relating to athletic  trainers; and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:38:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ZACK  FIELDS,   Alaska  State  Legislature,  as   prime  sponsor,                                                               
presented  HB  336  and  summarized   that  the  bill  was  about                                                               
resolving an ambiguity  in the law related to  work that athletic                                                               
trainers can  do.   He elaborated on  what their  training looked                                                               
like and pointed  out that the level of training  for an athletic                                                               
trainer was  similar to that of  a physical therapist.   He noted                                                               
that invited  testifiers could give  more real-world  examples of                                                               
trainers in Alaska.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:41:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COURTNEY OWENS,  Staff, Representative Zach Fields,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, gave the sectional analysis  for HB 336 [included in                                                               
the committee packet], on behalf  of Representative Fields, prime                                                               
sponsor, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Section  1:  Amends  AS   08.07.030(b)  to  update  the                                                                  
     Athletic   Trainers  Practice   Act   to  reflect   the                                                                    
     professional  education  requirements more  accurately.                                                                    
     Requires  that  athletic  trainers  refer  patients  to                                                                    
     medical professionals in the  event of condition and/or                                                                    
     injury present outside of the  scope of their practice:                                                                    
     clarifies who they can provide services to.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Section  2:   Amends  AS  08.07.030(c)   by  clarifying                                                                  
     responsibilities of athletic trainers:                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
      • Includes individuals who can benefit from athletic                                                                      
     training services; and                                                                                                     
     •  Permits  athletic  trainers to  clinically  diagnose                                                                    
     injuries, illnesses, & conditions; and                                                                                     
     •  Allows athletic  trainers  to  treat conditions,  in                                                                    
     addition to injury and illness.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Section  3:   AS  08.07.090(4)  Amends   definition  of                                                                  
     "athletic  training" to  permit clinical  diagnosis and                                                                    
     treatment of conditions.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Section  4: Repeals  the definitions  of "athlete"  and                                                                  
     "athletic injury or illness."                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Section 5: Applies an immediate effective date.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:43:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LYNNE  YOUNG,   Head  Athletic  Trainer,   Orthopedic  Physicians                                                               
Alaska,   clarified  that   athletic   trainers  are   healthcare                                                               
professionals   who  provide   services  in   collaboration  with                                                               
physicians.   She  expounded on  the tasks  they perform  and the                                                               
medical-based  education   they  follow,   as  well   as  ongoing                                                               
certifications  they must  meet.   She  noted none  of the  asked                                                               
changes  in the  bill would  change athletic  training but  would                                                               
further explain  what the  athletic trainers  can provide  and to                                                               
whom.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:48:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MINA  asked  whether athletic  trainers  diagnose                                                               
conditions.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  LYNNE  answered  that they  provide  a  clinical  diagnosis,                                                               
sometimes known as a differential diagnosis.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MINA  referenced a letter that  expressed concerns                                                               
that the bill broadens the  scope for athletic trainers and asked                                                               
Ms. Lynne if she wished to address the letter.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. LYNNE  confirmed a trainer's educational  background included                                                               
accredited   training    and   rigorous    components   including                                                               
certifications that must be met.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:51:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE asked for clarity  about a phrase in the                                                               
bill that noted "athlete" to "individual".                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  LYNNE  responded that  the  core  of  the  bill was  for  an                                                               
athletic  trainer  to  provide training  to  individuals.    When                                                               
spectators,  for  example,  fall  or  get hit  with  a  ball,  an                                                               
athletic trainer may  further evaluate these injuries  but not go                                                               
beyond the scope  [of their training].  She  provided examples of                                                               
other types of evaluations.   She noted the possibility of adding                                                               
the word "movement" that may help with definitions.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:55:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS  noted that  a testifier  who could  not be                                                               
present suggested a refinement of the language in the bill.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:56:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX opened public testimony on HB 336.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:57:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CARY KELLER, MD, representing self,  testified during the hearing                                                               
on HB 336  and provided his medical background  as an orthopaedic                                                               
surgeon,  who has  worked  with athletic  trainers.   He  defined                                                               
"athlete"  as  being  someone  who  engages  in  high-performance                                                               
activity,  but  there  are  also  "community  athletes"  such  as                                                               
walkers  or  cyclists.   He  noted  it  was  a mistake  to  think                                                               
athletic trainers could only provide  to team-based athletes.  He                                                               
focused on Alaska-based athletic trainers in his examples.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:59:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TINA  MCLEAN, Chair,  Alaska  Physical  Therapy and  Occupational                                                               
Therapy Board,  spoke in opposition  to HB  336 on behalf  of the                                                               
board.  She  stated there was no argument  that athletic trainers                                                               
are  of value  to  the healthcare  system  but expressed  concern                                                               
surround  the  wording in  the  bill  that  would allow  for  any                                                               
individual to  be treated  or evaluated  by an  athletic trainer.                                                               
She  noted their  training  is  not extensive,  and  even in  the                                                               
master's program,  it is  not geared  towards the  general public                                                               
and all  conditions.  Additional  wording should be  inserted for                                                               
more clarification in the bill, she opined.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:03:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX,  after ascertaining  no one  else wished  to testify,                                                               
closed public testimony on HB 336.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:04:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS noted there  could be opportunities to work                                                               
on the language in the bill.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RUFFRIDGE  agreed  and  expressed  concern  about                                                               
language in Section 2, suggesting  that "scope of practice" could                                                               
be   limiting.     He   opined  there   needed   to  be   further                                                               
clarification.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:06:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved to report  HB 336 out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 336 was reported out of the                                                               
House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.