Bill to produce athletic trainer pipeline clears Senate Education Committee

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A bill passed Monday by the Senate Education Committee would establish a five-year program in hopes of producting more athletic trainers for West Virginia high schools.

According to the text of the bill, “This program can serve each high school to create a pipeline for students interested in pursuing careers in sports medicine and athletic training.”

The bill, SB 755, creates the West Virginia Secondary School Athletic Trainer and Career Technical Education Program Act through career and technical education (CTE) programs.

Sen. Scott Fuller, R-Cabell, the bill’s sponsor, said there’s a shortage of certified athletic trainers in the state and lawmakers should wait no longer to address it.

“We have an opportunity right here and now,” Fuller said. “I don’t want to be sititng at home this summer when a child overheats because he’s running in practice and there’s nobody there to operate a wet bulb.”

The bill says athletic trainers can also be teachers.

The bill said the state’s Underwood-Smith Teacher Loan can be used to help students pay for the training in exchange for them agreeing to stay in West Virginia after they are trained.

Senator Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, himself a physical therapist, said he was in favor of the concept of ceating a pipeline of athletic trainers but said the bill in its current form is too open-ended.

“As I go through a lot of these ‘shalls’ in this program implementation it’s frought with those type of opportunities throughout the bill,” Tarr said. “While I love the intent, I think t bears further discussion, I can’t vote for this bill as it sits before me.”

Fuller said he believes the state and local school systems have the money to help fund the program. He said it’s all about priorities.

“The decision is what down here in the budget that we don’t need that isn’t important to our children that really doesn’t matter a whole lot and isn’t as high as a priority as our children, that’s where I’d get the money,” Fuller said.

The bill passed the committee on a voice vote and was sent to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration.