Athletic trainers.

Existing law provides for the regulation of various professions and vocations, including those of an athlete agent. This bill would make it unlawful for any person to hold themselves out as an athletic trainer, use the title of, among others, athletic trainer, or to use specified terms to imply or suggest that the person is an athletic trainer, unless that person fulfills certain requirements, including, but not limited to, being certified by the Board of Certification, Inc., or its predecessors or successors, or by another certifying entity with comparable standards for certifying athletic trainers. The bill would make it an unfair business practice to use the title "athletic trainer," "certified athletic trainer," or other specified terms that imply or suggest that the person is an athletic trainer if the person does not meet the requirements. This bill, notwithstanding these provisions, would authorize a person who has worked as an athletic trainer in California for a period of 20 consecutive years prior to January 1, 2021, and who is not otherwise eligible to use the title "athletic trainer," to use that title. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.