Athletic trainer scope of practice clarified.
HF 82 clarifies the scope of practice for licensed athletic trainers in Minnesota. The bill defines "athletic training" to include specific activities like injury prevention, emergency care, assessment, rehabilitation, and clinical decision-making within the trainer's expertise. It requires athletic trainers to work under a primary physician's direction, with documented protocols updated yearly, and limits initial treatment of undiagnosed injuries to 30 days (or less as specified by the physician). This directly affects athletic trainers, primary physicians, and healthcare facilities employing them, ensuring clear boundaries for their practice while preventing overlap with other licensed professions like physical therapy or medicine.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
May 2026
House Passage
May 2026
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 10, 2025
Last action May 7, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduction
→
1st Engrossment
·
4 edits
·
Mar 18, 2026
MODERATE
This bill updates the definition of an 'athletic trainer' to clarify that they must be licensed under state law and practice under the supervision of a primary physician. It also reorganizes the scope of practice to emphasize that athletic trainers must use therapeutic interventions based on their approved training and must refer patients when conditions are outside their expertise. The changes aim to standardize care protocols and ensure patient safety by reinforcing the supervisory role of physicians.
Scope change
The scope of practice was modified to require athletic trainers to operate under the supervision of a licensed physician and to strictly adhere to therapeutic interventions within their approved training, rather than just using modalities.
DEFINITION
The definition of 'athletic trainer' was updated to explicitly require licensure under Minnesota law and practice under the supervision of a primary physician.
REQUIREMENT
The scope of practice was changed from allowing the use of modalities to requiring the use of therapeutic interventions based on the trainer's approved education and credentialing.
The bill now requires athletic trainers to 'must' monitor patient responses and make suggestions for treatment modifications, changing previous language that allowed them to 'may' do so.
The requirement for athletic trainers to work under physician supervision was strengthened to include 'supervision of, on the prescription of, and in collaboration with' a primary physician.
Floor votes · House May 6, 2026
How they voted
126–5
Passed
Total votes 131
May 6, 2026
D
Democratic65
93% Yea
R
Republican66
98% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
24
Key actions
2
Committee
2
May 7, 2026
Committee
Referred to Health and Human Services
upper
May 7, 2026
Introduced
Introduction and first reading
upper
May 7, 2026
Introduced
Received from House
upper
May 6, 2026
Lower · Passed
Bill was passed
lower
Mar 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee report, to adopt as amended
lower
Feb 10, 2025
Introduced
Introduction and first reading, referred to Health Finance and Policy
lower
1 primary · 18 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
John Huot
DDemocratic-Farmer-Labor
Co
Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger
DDemocratic-Farmer-Labor
Co
Andrew Myers
RRepublican
Co
Bernie Perryman
RRepublican
Co
Bianca Virnig
DDemocratic-Farmer-Labor
Co
Bobbie Harder
RRepublican
Co
Danny Nadeau
RRepublican
Co
Dawn Gillman
RRepublican
Co
Heather Keeler
DDemocratic-Farmer-Labor
Co
Isaac Schultz
RRepublican
Co
Jay Xiong
DDemocratic-Farmer-Labor
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