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Bill

Bill

S 9853

Relates to the supervision of athletic trainers

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jamaal Bailey

Requires formal written agreements between supervising physicians and athletic trainers with annual review, allowing remote supervision and capping to four trainers (with school/co

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Bill Summary · S 9853

Summary of Bill S.9853 (2025-2026) – Relates to the supervision of athletic trainers (New York)

Primary purpose

  • Update and specify requirements for how athletic trainers must be supervised by physicians in New York, including the use of written agreements and annual review, and adjustments to the caseload (number of athletic trainers per physician supervising).

Key provisions and changes

  • Supervision framework

    • Continues the requirement that athletic trainers be supervised by a physician.
    • Supervising physician supervision can be continuous without the physician being physically present at the time and place where services are performed.

  • Written agreement or protocol

    • Requires a signed written agreement or protocol between the supervising physician and the licensed athletic trainer.
    • The agreement/protocol must describe the nature and scope of athletic training services to be performed, in accordance with the Education Law.

  • Annual review

    • The written agreement or protocol must be reviewed at least once a year by both the supervising physician and the athletic trainer and revised if necessary.

  • Supervision caseload limits

    • Cap on the number of athletic trainers a physician may supervise: no more than four (4) at one time.
    • Exception: this limit does not apply to athletic trainers practicing in:
    • Secondary schools, and
    • Institutions of postsecondary education (colleges/universities) that operate under the supervision of a physician who serves as the medical director for the school or institution.

  • Effective date

    • The act states it takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Who is affected

  • Licensed athletic trainers in New York

    • Must operate under a supervising physician with a formal written agreement/protocol.
    • Subject to annual review requirements and potential changes to scope of practice as defined in the agreement.

  • Supervising physicians

    • Responsible for creating, maintaining, and annually reviewing the written agreement/protocol with each athletic trainer they supervise.
    • Subject to a maximum limit on the number of athletic trainers they may supervise (with specific school-based exceptions).

  • Schools and postsecondary institutions

    • Institutions that have athletic trainers supervised by a physician serving as medical director are exempt from the four-trainer-per-physician cap.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Legislative process

    • Introduced and referred to the Senate Higher Education Committee on April 8, 2026.
    • Requires consideration and potential passage by the Legislature to become effective.

  • Compliance timeline

    • Written agreements/protocols must be established and annually reviewed. The bill does not specify a phased transition; it states requirements as part of the act’s framework.

Practical implications

  • Clarifies supervision model

    • Emphasizes a formal, collaboratively developed written agreement between physician and athletic trainer.
    • Allows remote supervision with documented protocols, rather than requiring on-site physician presence at all times.

  • Oversight and quality assurance

    • Annual review requirement promotes ongoing assessment and updates to practice scope and responsibilities.

  • Access and capacity considerations

    • The cap on the number of trainers per physician could influence staffing arrangements, especially in non-school settings. The school/postsecondary exception may encourage collaborations in educational environments with a physician medical director.

Overall, the bill aims to formalize and standardize the supervisory relationship between physicians and athletic trainers, ensuring clear scope of services, ongoing agreement maintenance, and practical limits on supervision load.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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