(225 ILCS 5/4) (from Ch. 111, par. 7604)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 4. Licensure; exempt activities. No person shall provide any of the services set forth in subsection (4) of Section 3 of this Act, or use the title "athletic trainer", "certified athletic trainer", "athletic trainer certified", or "licensed athletic trainer" or the letters "LAT", "L.A.T.", "A.T.", "C.A.T.", "A.T.C.", "A.C.T.", or "I.A.T.L." after the athletic trainer's name, unless licensed under this Act.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed as preventing or restricting the practice, services, or activities of:

(1) Any person licensed or registered in this State by any other law from engaging in the profession or occupation for which he or she is licensed or registered.

(2) Any person employed as an athletic trainer by the Government of the United States, if such person provides athletic training solely under the direction or control of the organization by which he or she is employed.

(3) Any person pursuing a course of study leading to a degree in athletic training at an accredited educational program if such activities and services constitute a part of a supervised course of study involving daily personal or verbal contact at the site of supervision between the athletic training student and the licensed athletic trainer who plans, directs, advises, and evaluates the student's athletic training clinical education. The supervising licensed athletic trainer must be on-site where the athletic training clinical education is being obtained. A person meeting the criteria under this paragraph (3) must be designated by a title which clearly indicates his or her status as a student.

(4) (Blank).

(5) The practice of athletic training under the supervision of a licensed athletic trainer by one who has applied in writing to the Department for licensure and has complied with all the provisions of Section 9 except the passing of the examination to be eligible to receive such license. This temporary right to act as an athletic trainer shall expire 3 months after the filing of his or her written application to the Department; when the applicant has been notified of his or her failure to pass the examination authorized by the Department; when the applicant has withdrawn his or her application; when the applicant has received a license from the Department after successfully passing the examination authorized by the Department; or when the applicant has been notified by the Department to cease and desist from practicing, whichever occurs first. This provision shall not apply to an applicant who has previously failed the examination.

(6) Any person in a coaching position from rendering emergency care on an as needed basis to the athletes under his or her supervision when a licensed athletic trainer is not available.

(7) Any person who is an athletic trainer from another state or territory of the United States or another nation, state, or territory acting as an athletic trainer while performing his or her duties for his or her respective non-Illinois based team or organization, so long as he or she restricts his or her duties to his or her team or organization during the course of his or her team's or organization's stay in this State. For the purposes of this Act, a team shall be considered based in Illinois if its home contests are held in Illinois, regardless of the location of the team's administrative offices.

(8) The practice of athletic training by persons licensed in another state who have applied in writing to the Department for licensure by endorsement. This temporary right to act as an athletic trainer shall expire 6 months after the filing of his or her written application to the Department; upon the withdrawal of the application for licensure under this Act; upon delivery of a notice of intent to deny the application from the Department; or upon the denial of the application by the Department, whichever occurs first.

(9) The practice of athletic training by one who has applied in writing to the Department for licensure and has complied with all the provisions of Section 9. This temporary right to act as an athletic trainer shall expire 6 months after the filing of his or her written application to the Department; upon the withdrawal of the application for licensure under this Act; upon delivery of a notice of intent to deny the application from the Department; or upon the denial of the application by the Department, whichever occurs first.

(10) The practice of athletic training by persons actively licensed as an athletic trainer in another state or territory of the United States or another country, or currently certified by the Board of Certification, or its successor entity, at a special athletic tournament or event conducted by a sanctioned amateur athletic organization for no more than 14 days. This shall not include contests or events that are part of a scheduled series of regular season events.

(11) Aides from performing patient care activities under the on-site supervision of a licensed athletic trainer. These patient care activities shall not include interpretation of referrals or evaluation procedures, planning or major modifications of patient programs, administration of medication, or solo practice or event coverage without immediate access to a licensed athletic trainer.

(12) (Blank).

(Source: P.A. 102-940, eff. 1-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)