Task force plans testimony and outreach after athletic-trainer language folded into larger public-health workforce bill

Members of the athletic-trainer task force said their draft language has been incorporated into a broader public-health workforce bill and laid out plans this week to collect testimony, mobilize stakeholders and prepare materials for a public hearing once a bill number is assigned.

The task force discussed next steps for outreach to legislators, with staff support and assistance from national and state associations. "We don't have the bill number yet because our individual bill is being morphed into, 1 of the bigger public health bills on workforce development," said Nicole (staff member). She told the group the bill should be raised within a few weeks and that a public hearing will follow.

Why it matters: Task force members said the state faces shortages of athletic trainers across high schools, colleges and other settings, and they framed the bill as a way to address workforce gaps and the economic barriers that keep students and early-career professionals from entering or staying in the field.

Members cited student debt as a…