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Board of Athletic Training

Revision Date

Agency Contact Information

Board of Athletic Training

Authority

The Board of Athletic Training was established in 2000. Statutory authority is found at A.R.S. §§32-4101 through 32-4161.

Functions

The purpose of the Board of Athletic Training (Board) is to protect the public health by ensuring that athletic training is provided by qualified and competent individuals. The Board consists of five members, appointed by the Governor to terms of five years.

History

The Board was established in response to a legislative sunrise hearing in December 1999. The Senate Commerce, Agriculture and Natural Resources and House of Representatives Health Committee of Reference (COR) conducted a hearing to consider regulating athletic training and recommended legislation be introduced to establish a Board of Athletic Trainers. See Minutes from the Sunrise Hearing of the Board of Athletic Trainers, December 15, 1999, for additional detail. Legislation was enacted in 2000 which established the Board and outlined licensing requirements.

Session Laws

Laws 2000, Chapter 111 established the Board of Athletic Training and outlined its responsibilities, established standards of practice, required a license to practice as an athletic trainer, established licensure requirements and set fees. The measure also authorized the Board to take disciplinary action and outlined enforcement authority, including provisions related to hearings, penalties and injunctive relief. The measure included an appropriation of $60,000 in fiscal year 2000-2001 from the state General Fund to the Board for start-up and operating costs.

The measure also required the Executive Director of the Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (BOTE) to serve as the Executive Director of the Board of Athletic Training. In addition, the staff of the BOTE was responsible for carrying out the administrative responsibilities of the Board of Athletic Training. Note: this provision was modified in 2010 to allow both boards to jointly select the executive director and to allow the Board of Athletic Training to hire staff. See Laws 2010, Chapter 34, section 3.

Laws 2005, Chapter 89 allowed the Board to issue temporary licenses and to adopt rules establishing continuing education requirements.

Laws 2007, Chapter 65 allowed the Board to issue a non-disciplinary order requiring a licensee to complete continuing education courses. This applied in cases where an investigation of an allegation was not serious enough to trigger a disciplinary action. The measure also allowed the Board to exempt a person from educational and examination requirements in specific circumstances. (Note: this exemption was repealed in 2010.)

Laws 2010, Chapter 34 established the Athletic Training Fund, administered by the Board. The measure also required applicants for licensure to submit a full set of fingerprints to the Board for the purpose of obtaining a state and federal criminal records check.

A second measure adopted in 2010 required the Board to adopt rules outlining appropriate education and training for services performed by an athletic trainer. The measure also modified the definition of athletic training and provided civil immunity to a physician who, without compensation, provides information or recommendations regarding standard protocols in the day-to-day activities of athletic trainers. See Laws 2010, Chapter 81.

Laws 2019, Chapter 195 allowed the Board to authorize its executive director to issue licenses, certifications, registrations, preceptorships, reinstatements, and waivers to eligible applicants who meet the requirements identified in the statute. The measure also addresses temporary licenses. Section 32-3124.I states: “This section applies to a health profession regulatory board to the extent that this section does not conflict with the board’s current statutory authority relating to temporary licensure.” The Board may adopt rules to carry out the new provisions.

A second enactment in 2019 requires the Board to regulate the unauthorized practice of the profession by investigating complaints and referring verified complaints to the county attorney or attorney general for prosecution. See Laws 2019, Chapter 227.

Effective January 1, 2022, a person must have a fingerprint clearance card prior to applying for a license. Currently a person is required to submit a full set of fingerprints to the Board for the purpose of obtaining state and federal criminal records checks and the Board may issue a license prior to receiving the results of the background check. The measure also allows the Board, in the course of an investigation, to issue a non-disciplinary order requiring completion of a prescribed number of hours of continuing education rather than taking direct action against a licensee. Finally, the Board’s authority to appoint hearing officers is deleted. See Laws 2021, Chapter 301.

Laws 2022, Chapter 46 requires the Board to adopt rules, by September 30, 2022, relating to standards of care, training and education qualifications for athletic trainers who perform dry needling for therapeutic purposes. A sunrise report requesting an expansion of the scope of practice was submitted by the Arizona Athletic Trainers Association on November 1, 2019. The Board filed a Notice of Exempt Rulemaking, effective September 30, 2022, found in the Arizona Administrative Register, Volume 28, 2022, Issue 37, September 16, 2022 (PDF page 113).

Sources

Arizona Board of Athletic Training website

Sunrise Hearing of the Board of Athletic Trainers, December 15, 1999. Minutes of the Senate Commerce, Agriculture and Natural Resources and House of Representatives Health Committee of Reference.