By: Henderson S.B. No. 1245
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to athletic trainers.
1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-3 SECTION 1. Section 1, Chapter 498, Acts of the 62nd
1-4 Legislature, Regular Session, 1971 (Article 4512d, Vernon's Texas
1-5 Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
1-6 (1) "Athletic Trainer" means a person with specific
1-7 qualifications, as set forth in Section 9 of this Act, who, upon
1-8 the advice and consent of <his team> a licensed physician carries
1-9 out the practice of care, prevention and/or physical rehabilitation
1-10 of athletic injuries <incurred by athletes>. To carry out these
1-11 functions, the Athletic trainer is authorized to use physical
1-12 modalities such as heat, light sound, cold, electricity, or
1-13 mechanical devices related to rehabilitation and treatment. A
1-14 person is engaged as an athletic trainer if the person is employed
1-15 on a salary or contractual basis by an educational institution,
1-16 hospital, rehabilitation clinic, professional athletic
1-17 organization, or other bona fide athletic organization and performs
1-18 the duties of an athletic trainer as a major responsibility of such
1-19 employment.
1-20 (2) "Board" means the Advisory Board of Athletic
1-21 Trainers.
1-22 (3) "Athletic injury" means any injury sustained by a
1-23 person as a result of such person's participation in exercises,
2-1 sports, games, or recreation requiring physical strength, agility,
2-2 flexibility, range of motion, speed, or stamina or any comparable
2-3 injury that prevents such person from participating in such
2-4 activities.
2-5 <(3)> (4) Nothing herein shall be construed to
2-6 authorize the practice of medicine by any person not licensed by
2-7 the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners.
2-8 <(4)> (5) The provisions of this act do not apply to:
2-9 (a) physicians licensed by the Texas State Board of Medical
2-10 Examiners;
2-11 (b) dentists duly qualified and registered under the laws of
2-12 this state who confine their practice strictly to dentistry;
2-13 (c) licensed optometrists who confine their practice
2-14 strictly to optometry as defined by statutes;
2-15 (d) occupational therapists who confine their practice to
2-16 occupational therapy;
2-17 (e) nurses who practice nursing only; or
2-18 (f) duly licensed chiropodists or podiatrists.
2-19 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
2-20 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-21 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-22 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-23 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-24 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-25 passage, and it is so enacted.