Bill to Provide Licensure Clarity for Sports Medicine Professionals

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators John Thune and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota on Wednesday applauded the Senate Health, Labor, Education, and Pensions (HELP) Committee’s passage of the Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act (S. 808), their bipartisan legislation that would eliminate the ambiguity that currently exists with licensure and malpractice insurance for covered sports medicine professionals traveling across state lines with an athletic team. Absent clarification, when these health care providers treat an injured player on the road, they are potentially putting themselves at professional and financial risk. The bill would allow covered sports medicine professionals to engage in the treatment of injured athletes across state lines, as long as they have an agreement in place with the team or athlete being treated and are performing services within the scope of practice of their state of licensure. Senator Thune said it is a Win-Win situation for both sports medicine professionals and the athletic communities they serve.