Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee rejects SB86 but approves companion clinical‑supervision bill for athletic trainers
Summary
The committee voted down SB86, which would have redefined 'athlete' to include military, law enforcement and rescue personnel, but approved a negotiated compromise (House Bill 12‑59) allowing athletic trainers to practice in clinical settings under on‑site physician supervision; testimony included competing safety and scope-of-practice claims from athletic trainers and physical therapists.
The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee defeated Senate Bill 86, which would have broadened the Arkansas Athletic Trainers Act to classify certain military, law enforcement and rescue personnel as "tactical athletes," but approved a related compromise, House Bill 12‑59, that allows physicians to supervise athletic trainers in clinical settings under specified conditions.
Sponsor Senator Gardner described SB86 as a limited change to recognize activities tied to annual physical training for law enforcement, military and rescue services and said the bill would allow athletic trainers to apply existing skills to those tactical-athlete populations. Jonathan Elrod, president of the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
