Legislature(2011 - 2012)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
04/14/2011 02:00 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB164 | |
| SB74 | |
| SB119 | |
| HB188 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 74 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 119 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 164 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 188 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 119-ATHLETIC TRAINER LICENSING
3:16:53 PM
CHAIR EGAN announced SB 119 to be up for consideration.
SENATOR PASKVAN moved to bring CSSB 199( ), 27-LS0732\D before
the committee for purposes of discussion.
CHAIR EGAN objected for discussion.
SENATOR MEYER, sponsor of SB 119, said that athletic trainers
are certified health care professionals who practice in the
field of sports medicine. Athletic training has been recognized
by the American Medical Association; the profession plays a
significant role in the management, prevention and recognition
of rehabilitation of injured athletes.
He explained that when the traumatic brain injury bill came
before the legislature, it was found that there wasn't a group
association to deal with it; so Alaska athletic trainers brought
it to their attention. Alaska is one of only three states that
doesn't license athletic trainers.
SENATOR MENARD said they are most familiar with high school
sports where you have an assistant coach who does things like
wrap ankles and apply ice to injuries and asked if those
assistants could still be used if they weren't licensed
trainers.
CHRISTINE MARASEGAN, staff to Senator Meyer, pointed out that
this bill is about licensing. All athletic trainers that call
themselves athletic trainers are certified through a national
board. In terms of how this would play out in Alaska, they want
to make sure that personnel are licensed in the State of Alaska
to be able to provide treatment. Forty-two people have met all
of the certification for being an athletic trainer but aren't
licensed in the state. So, they could be at the game and they
would not be able to provide service because they are not
licensed.
SENATOR MENARD said the glitch for her is that assistant coaches
aren't licensed and she didn't want to get them in trouble.
MS. MARASEGAN responded that this bill would not get them in
trouble. A provision on page 1, lines 14-15, and (b) on the next
page says if you have personnel that can provide assistance that
they can provide it. She also pointed out that language on page
2, line 14, of the CS effectively removes the cap on the fee.
3:22:12 PM
BRENDA SHELDON, President, Alaska Athletic Trainers Association
(AATA), supported SB 119. She said they recognize the changes in
the CS and acknowledge the challenges of their small number. But
2008 data places the mid-point salary for a full-time athletic
trainer in their district at $40,000. She said many members
volunteer as athletic trainers and are not in paid positions.
Alaska has many non-profit and community events that they serve
and SB 119, section 3, will include Alaska trainers in the
immunity for providing free health care services. This is very
important to them.
She said what they lack in size they make up for with their
certification agency, the Board of Certification. This agency
will ensure that athletic training professionals have completed
their proper college education; it will administer the entry
level examination, track continuing education and continue to
enforce the renewal for certification. Because of the board's
role they feel their fees should be comparable to that of speech
and language pathologists, geologists and dieticians.
MS. SHELDON assured Senator Menard that this bill intends to
only speak to athletic trainers and in no way limits what others
can do at events with student athletes.
3:24:41 PM
SENATOR PASKVAN remarked that his daughter is certified by the
National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification
and has been for a long time. She works in a high school of
4,500 students and to address Senator Menard's question, she
works with the coaches and the assistant coaches particularly in
the area of the football team and concussions. It's her decision
as compared to any coach or assistant coach or anyone else on
field that controls whether the kid goes back in. His daughter
told him that there is no other certifying organization out
there and this is the one that should be looked to as the
"national gold standard." Therefore, he supported the bill.
SENATOR MENARD said the fees will be collected by the Division
of Licensing and asked if it would be necessary to have board
representation.
MS. MARASEGAN answered that could be worked out between the
Alaska Athletic Trainers Association and the Division of
Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. The ATTA
didn't want to create a whole board, because they go through so
much for certification already. They simply wanted licensure for
the State of Alaska and Alaska would issue the license, but it
would be referring back to the national organization, which is
the only one that has been doing so for a number of years.
SENATOR MENARD said she would support having a board member that
is representative of what they are trying to do if that ever
came up.
3:28:29 PM
SENATOR PASKVAN moved to report CSSB 119(L&C), version D, from
committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal
note. There were no objections and it was so ordered.
3:29:11 PM
At ease from 3:29 PM to 3:30 PM.
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