GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

Chair

Matthew D. Hambleton, MSA, AT, ATC

mats.gac@gmail.com

MDHHS

Co-Chair:

Blaine C. Long Ph.D., AT, ATC

Consulting Members:

Lauren J Randazzo, MA, ATC, CSCS

About Us:

The Governmental Affairs Committee of MATS (MATS GAC) is focused on legislative and regulatory issues that affect the practice of Athletic Training in the State of Michigan. The GAC serves to review, analyze, educate and provide recommendations regarding any legislation that may affect the profession of athletic training.

Goals, Functions, and Responsibilities:

Attend Executive Board meetings in a non-voting capacity at the request of the President.
Provide a written report for presentation to the Executive Board at all scheduled meetings.
Oversee and coordinates activities relative to legislation, political action, and regulatory activity within the State.
Continuously update MATS GAC website regarding current legislative issues potentially affecting athletic trainers in Michigan.
Serve as a liaison to MATS lobbyist.
At a minimum, annually review and analyze all State regulatory bills.
Participate in and organize conference calls, online and/or face-face meetings as deemed necessary with GAC members to plan strategies and address current legislative issues.
Provide direction and assistance to MATS members in the areas of legislation, political action, and regulatory activity.
Work collaboratively with the Professional Education Committee to provide educational programming regarding legislation, political action, and regulatory activity for members.
Coordinate and develop projects for members that will enhance areas of legislation, political action, and regulatory activity.
Communicate, educate, and assist with State efforts to obtain support from other medical professions.
Serve as a member of the GLATA GAC.
Participate in monthly GLATA GAC calls to discuss strategy, State updates, and NATA updates.
Submit Bi-Annual State Report to the GLATA GAC.
Assists the president with all financial considerations of the legislative process and grant applications by the State in coordination with the Finance Committee and Executive Board.
Submit an annual budget request per Finance Committee specified timelines.
Address individuals or organizations utilizing the terms associated with “athletic training” inappropriately and submits the proper allegation complaint forms to Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).
Annually signs and submits the MATS Disclosure Statement, to be kept on file by the President.
Provides additional duties as assigned by the President.

Current Bills or Public Acts Potentially Affecting the Profession of Athletic Training

The House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 35 of 2025 (Representative Joseph Aragona), declaring March as Athletic Trainer Month in Michigan.

House Resolution 35 of 2025 - Michigan Legislature

In December 2024, House Bill 5956 of 2024 (HB 5956) was signed into law as Public Act 255 of 2024 (PA 255). PA 255 ensures the following:

Prohibits insurers that deliver, issue for delivery, or renew health insurance policies in Michigan from discriminating against health professionals acting with the scope of their license, with respect to participation under a health insurance policy.
Does not require an insurer to contract with any health professional who is willing to abide by the terms and conditions for participation established by that insurer.
Does not prohibit an insurer from establishing varying reimbursement rates based on quality or performance measures.

MATS believes this law should apply to any licensed health professional working within their scope of practice in Michigan. MATS interprets this language to mean that an insurer could not deny licensed athletic trainers from receiving reimbursement for providing rehabilitative services if the insurer provides reimbursement for other licensed health profession for delivering these same rehabilitative services.

HB 5956 Link: House Bill 5956 of 2024 (Public Act 255 of 2024) - Michigan Legislature

In March 2025, House Bill 4227 of 2025 (HB 4227) was introduced. The bill would require

each intermediate school district to designate at least one emergency and safety manager

and at least one mental health coordinator. An individual designated as an emergency and safety manager would have a number of responsibilities including:

Serve as a liaison between state agency school safety offices, public schools and no public schools, the School Safety and Mental Health Commission, and other stakeholders.
Work with school administrators, local and state emergency management coordinators, and emergency responders to implement prevention programs related to school safety.

An individual designated as a mental health coordinator would have a number of responsibilities including:

Coordinate state funding intended to enhance and expand the availability of mentel health services and supports for students.
Coordinate the integration of community or faith-based mental health services in the ISD and public schools and nonpublic schools located within the ISD.
Develop and implement a comprehensive school–community mental health system.
Meet and work with school mental health professionals, including, but not limited to, psychologists, social workers, doctors, nurses, athletic trainers, and psychiatrists, to connect the ISD and public schools and nonpublic schools located within the ISD with child and adolescent health centers, state departments and agencies, local governments, social service agencies, and health care organizations to aid in the identification of and support of students at risk for behavioral health issues.

MATS supports the bill and was successful in having athletic trainers added to the list of mental health professionals.

In April 2025, House Bill 4371 of 2025 (HB 4371), the Safe Youth Sports Act, was introduced. This bill requires oversight of the department and shall:

Approve standards to help ensure a safe and supportive youth sports environment for youth athletes.
Approve training programs to meet the standards.
Establish a process for approving alternative training programs proposed by organizing entities, parents, or other persons.
Promote the certification program.

Under section 9, the advanced standards include:

The organizing entity shall do both of the following:
- Designate an individual to manage safety;
- One of the following:
  - Adopt and publish an injury prevention plan;
  - Establish an injury evaluation space at each site of competition; or
  - Ensure that an athletic trainer is present at each competition.

An organizing entity does not include an entity under the purview of the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

House Bill 4371 of 2025 - Michigan Legislature

Current Engagement Activities of MATS

MATS is requesting tuition support/assistance from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to support the colleges and universities that offer graduate athletic training programs with financial stipends to students seeking to earn their master’s degree in athletic training with students committing to providing medical care for at least three years of full-time employment as a licensed athletic trainer in the state upon their graduation. This request is due to some of the current challenges facing the athletic training profession, especially in Michigan, including a persistent misunderstanding of the profession where individuals perceive athletic trainers as coaches, personal trainers, or team managers, and not as medical professionals. A major challenge facing the athletic training profession is that prospective students may be losing interest in pursuing the profession, especially at the high school level, since it is difficult to justify obtaining a college or university master’s degree that is not sufficiently offset by a salary that would likely to be earned.

MATS is considering the pursuit of opening the athletic training practice act to enact the following goals:
- Lower licensing fees. Despite having success in the lowering of licensing fees from $600 to $300 every three years with the passing of Practice Act 166 of 2015, it was determined that Michigan athletic trainers are still paying about the fifth highest fees of the listed licensed health professionals. In addition, beginning in 2016, the Michigan legislature began relying on law passed during the 1993-1994 legislative session that allows the state to increase licensure. Since 2016, the athletic training license fees increased from $300 to $330.90.
- Include anti-discrimination language regarding prohibiting payers from discriminating against licensed healthcare professionals that furnish services within their scope of practice in alignment with House Bill 5956 of 2024.

MATS is closely monitoring the Supreme Court Case Medina vs. Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is arguing that federal law requires every state’s Medicaid program is to ensure that “any individual eligible for medical assistance” may obtain that care “from any institution, agency, community pharmacy, or person, qualified to perform the service or services required.” Therefore, patients have a right to choose their own health providers so long as the provider must be “qualified” or “professionally competent to provide the care that the patient seeks." If the Supreme Court Planned Parenthood, then it stands to reason that this decision would also apply to every other provider including athletic trainers. That is, insurers would not be able to deny a provider from reimbursement based on their provider type so long as the provider is qualified, the services are within their scope of practice, and the patient has chosen that particular provider.

MATS is considering pursuing legislation regarding dry needling and interstate license compact. MATS weighing the risks vs benefits of these two initiatives.

Notice from the Bureau of Professional Licensing (BPL) within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA):

The BPL within LARA would like to inform you that the Public Health Code – General Rules have been revised which will require implicit bias training for your profession, effective June 1, 2022.

The new training requirements are the product of numerous workgroup meetings over the past year and represent feedback from 86 organizations including our health professional boards, insurance providers, health systems, health care associations, legislators, state agencies, higher education, and community and advocacy groups. The requirements apply to both new applicants as well as those renewing their existing licenses or registrations.

Below are the changes in the rules that pertain to the new training requirements:

The term “implicit bias” is defined as:

(A)n attitude or internalized stereotype that affects an individual’s perception, action, or decision making in an unconscious manner and often contributes to unequal treatment of people based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, age, disability, or other characteristic. (R 338.7001 (c) )

Specifically, the new rule (R 338.7004) requires the following:

Rule 4. (1) Beginning 1 year after promulgation of this rule, an applicant for licensure or registration under article 15 of the code, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838, except those seeking to be licensed under part 188 of the code, MCL 333.18801 to 333.18838, shall have completed a minimum of 2 hours of implicit bias training within the 5 years immediately preceding issuance of the license or registration.

(2) Beginning 1 year after promulgation of this rule and for every renewal cycle thereafter, in addition to completing any continuing education required for renewal, an applicant for license or registration renewal under article 15 of the code, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838, except those licensed under part 188 of the code, MCL 333.18801 to 333.18838, shall have completed a minimum of 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of the applicant’s license or registration cycle.

(3) The implicit bias training must be related to reducing barriers and disparities in access to and delivery of health care services and meet all of the following requirements:

(a) Training content must include, but is not limited to, 1 or more of the following topics:

(i) Information on implicit bias, equitable access to health care, serving a diverse population, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and cultural sensitivity.
(ii) Strategies to remedy the negative impact of implicit bias by recognizing and understanding how it impacts perception, judgment, and actions that may result in inequitable decision making, failure to effectively communicate, and result in barriers and disparities in the access to and delivery of health care services.
(iii) The historical basis and present consequences of implicit biases based on an individual’s characteristics.
(iv) Discussion of current research on implicit bias in the access to and delivery of health care services.

(b) Training must include strategies to reduce disparities in access to and delivery of health care services and the administration of pre- and post-test implicit bias assessments.

(i) Training offered by a nationally-recognized or state-recognized health-related organization.
(ii) Training offered by, or in conjunction with, a state or federal agency.
(iii) Training obtained in an educational program that has been approved by any board created under article 15 of the code, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838, except under part 188 of the code, MCL 333.18801 to 333.18838, for initial licensure or registration or for the accumulation of continuing education credits.
(iv) Training offered by an accredited college or university.
(v) An organization specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.

(d) Acceptable modalities of training include any of the following:

(i) A teleconference or webinar that permits live synchronous interaction.
(ii) A live presentation.
(iii) Interactive online instruction.

(4) Submission of an application for licensure, registration, or renewal constitutes an applicant’s certificate of compliance with the requirements of this rule. A licensee or registrant shall retain documentation of meeting the requirements of this rule for a period of 6 years from the date of applying for licensure, registration, or renewal. The department may select and audit a sample of a licensees or registrants and request documentation of proof of compliance with this rule. If audited by the department, a licensee or registrant shall provide the proof of completion of training, including either of the following:

(a) A completion certificate issued by the training program that includes the date of the training, the program sponsor’s name, the title of the program, and licensee’s or registrant’s name.

(b) A self-attestation by the licensee or registrant that includes the date of the training, the program sponsor’s name, the title of the program, and licensee’s or registrant’s name.

Please send any questions you may have about these revised rules to BPLHelp@michigan.gov .

Thank you,

Debra Gagliardi, Director
Bureau of Professional Licensing
Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs