NATA Beat: Fall 2026 Advocacy Updates
Every day, NATA is working on behalf of the athletic training profession. With staff members experienced in all aspects of the legislative and regulatory process, the NATA Government Affairs Department is the sole department focused on advocacy for the profession. NATA’s goal is to ensure that all ATs can work to the fullest extent of their education and skill set. These bipartisan efforts consist of five key areas: state legislation, federal legislation, regulatory, reimbursement and the NATA Political Action Committee.
NATA Beat includes a quarterly eblast dedicated to these government affairs efforts, ensuring members have the latest insight into the work being done to advocate for the profession. Accompanying the eblast, NATA Now provides further highlights each quarter in a quick, easy-to-digest format.
You can also follow @MyNATABeat on X, which provides real-time updates on advocacy efforts that matter to the athletic training profession.
Read the November/December NATA News for more insight to recent athletic training advocacy wins.
NATA Advocacy By the Numbers: Year to Date
- 22 grassroots advocacy campaigns
- 4,600+ emails sent to federal and state legislators
- 318 personal greetings to members of Congress
State Legislation
NATA Hosts Three-Part Webinar Series to Prepare for 2027
Join your NATA Government Affairs team for three practical conversations designed to help your state association strengthen its legislative and regulatory efforts, maximize its resources and move the profession forward. These virtual sessions are member-only and registration is required.
State Advocacy Playbook: Ready ... Set ... Session!
Getting Your Advocacy Game Plan in Place
5 p.m. CST Nov. 9
The next legislative session will be here before you know it. Is your state association ready? From identifying priorities and building relationships to anticipating legislative challenges, this webinar will cover what you should be doing before the legislature gavels in. Come ready to turn your advocacy to-do list into a game plan.
State Advocacy Playbook: Setting Your Lobbyist Expectations
Getting the Most Out of Your Lobbyist Relationship
5 p.m. CST Nov. 10
Hiring a lobbyist is an investment, but are you getting the most out of that relationship? We’ll talk about setting realistic expectations, defining responsibilities, communicating effectively and measuring results. Learn what your lobbyist should be doing, what your association needs to bring to the table and how to build a partnership that delivers results.
State Advocacy Playbook: There’s a Bill for That!
Fresh Ideas, Model Language and Legislative Opportunities
5 p.m. CST Nov. 12
Looking for your association’s next legislative win? You don’t always have to start from scratch. We’ll explore model language, legislative proposals and creative policy initiatives that state associations can adapt to their own needs. From strengthening professional protections to expanding recognition and opportunities for athletic trainers, this webinar is designed to get the ideas flowing.
AT Compact Update
The Athletic Trainer Licensure Compact (AT Compact) is an interstate occupational licensure compact that allows athletic trainers to practice across state lines more efficiently. Led by the Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer, the compact streamlines licensure processes, reduces administrative burdens and strengthens public protection by improving how participating states share disciplinary and investigative information. Eligible athletic trainers may obtain a “compact privilege” to practice in other member states while maintaining licensure in their home state. As of publication, 10 states have enacted AT Compact legislation. For the most up-to-date information, visit the AT Compact website and read more in the November/December NATA News.
Friends of Athletic Trainers Recognition
The Friends of Athletic Trainers Recognition honors state legislators and regulators who have demonstrated meaningful support for athletic trainers and the athletic training profession. State associations nominate legislators and regulatory officials for recognition by NATA. So far, NATA has recognized 25 state legislators in 2026, including Oklahoma State Rep. Clay Staires. The Oklahoma Athletic Trainers’ Association presented Staires with the recognition during a Skiatook Varsity football game Oct. 9.
Photo provided by the Oklahoma Athletic Trainers’ Association and Kimberly Cordova Photography
NCATA, HATA Hold NATA Legislative Boot Camps
NATA visited North Carolina Oct. 15-16 and Hawaii Oct. 19 for legislative boot camps with the North Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association and the Hawaii Athletic Trainers’ Association. Established in 2019, the NATA Legislative Boot Camps provide focused legislative advocacy training to state associations, ensuring members have the insight and know-how to move the needle locally.
NCATA members who attended the NATA Legislative Boot Camp include Ashley Long, PhD, LAT, ATC, Brandy Jones-Neelam, MS, LAT, ATC, Nancy Groh, EdD, LAT, ATC, Taryn Strickland, MA, LAT, ATC, Jarrett Friday, MAEd, LAT, ATC, Ray Davis, MSS, LAT, ATC, Bill Coburn, DAT, LAT, ATC, Nina Walker, MA, LAT, ATC, Josh Stansbury, ATC, Amanda Beatty, MS, LAT, ATC, Tyler DePew, MS, LAT, ATC, Janna Fonseca, MEd, LAT, ATC, and Taylor Guardalabene, ATC.
HATA members who attended the NATA Legislative Boot Camp include Amy Shirk, MS, ATC, Liana Finer, MS, ATC, Zenny Eakins, ATC, CAA, Marissa Fukunaga, EdD, ATC, Louise Tatekawa, MS, LAT, ATC, Kaori Tamura,PhD, ATC, Troy Furutani, ATC, Reid Takano, ATC, Lawrence Lam, MS, LAT, ATC, Nikki Awaya, MEd, ATC, Darryl Funai, MEd, ATC, Mansfield Lam, MS, ATC, Rachel Loo, ATC, and Erik Swartz, PhD, ATC.
NATA Attends BOC 2026 Brad Sherman Regulatory Conference
NATA staff attended the 2026 Brad Sherman Regulatory Conference, hosted by the Board of Certification in August at the BOC headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. The conference brings together state regulators and leaders in the athletic training profession to discuss best practices in athletic training regulation. During the conference, NATA Executive Director Mollie Pillman, MS, MBA, CAE, presented on the ATs Care Program.
Federal Legislation
NATA Discusses Important AT Topics With Legislators
So far in the 119th Congress, NATA has engaged with nearly 200 Senate and House offices to advance our legislative priorities. Our conversations have focused on strengthening the athletic training workforce and ensuring athletic trainers are valued for the expertise they provide, including privileging for athletic trainers working in military settings, recognition of athletic trainers by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and liability protections for the care they deliver. We have also advocated for safety measures that address heat illness and concussions across the many settings where athletic trainers work, as well as continued federal support for programs that promote mental health and well-being among health care workers. This includes grants for burnout prevention training and a national campaign encouraging health care professionals to seek mental health care. In addition, NATA has lobbied for education funding, access to student loans, affordable housing and rural health initiatives, all of which affect the economic well-being of athletic trainers and their ability to enter the profession and serve their communities.
Do you have federal or state legislative or regulatory issues you would like NATA to work on for you? Email the NATA Government Affairs Department and let’s set up a time to chat.
NATA Government Affairs & Political Engagement Manager Madison Sequenzia, NATA Government Affairs Associate Nick Tolfree and NATA Director of Government Affairs Deanna Kuykendall
Athletic Trainers Included in Senate-Passed NIL Bill
Since 2025, NATA has met with members of Congress and committee staff to advocate for protections for athletic trainers in federal name, image and likeness (NIL) legislation. Some of those efforts are reflected in the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act (S. 4668), which passed the Senate in September by a vote of 77 to 22 and now awaits consideration in the House, where its path forward remains uncertain. The provision of the bill that addresses athletic trainers reads:
“(1) IN GENERAL.—Medical personnel, including athletic trainers, physical therapists, and physicians, shall have the autonomous, unchallengeable authority to determine medical management and return to play decisions for student athletes under their care at an institution. (2) LIMITATION ON NONMEDICAL PERSONNEL.—No coach or other nonmedical personnel of an institution may attempt to influence or disregard the decisions of medical personnel with respect to the medical management and return to play decisions for student athletes under their care at the 18 institution.”
Making Connections in the District
Some of the most impactful athletic trainer advocacy happens when legislators are back home in their districts. NATA President-Elect David Gallegos, MA, ATC, Cert. MDT, recently crossed paths with Rep. Gabe Vasquez while the congressman was home in New Mexico, and the two took the opportunity to discuss the athletic training workforce. Even an informal conversation like this one gives lawmakers the chance to hear directly from the athletic trainers in their communities. NATA encourages members to seize these moments when their legislators are home, because a local voice can leave a lasting impression.
Want help setting up a meeting with you member of Congress or state legislator? We can help! Reach out to the NATA Government Affairs Department.
NATA Loves PAW-litics!
When NATA staff visit legislative offices on Capitol Hill, we make sure the four-legged staffers are not left out. We bring along dog treats for the office pups we meet along the way. After all, good advocacy means getting to know everyone in the office, including the ones who greet us at the door.
Freya in Congressman Rick Crawford’s office poses for a photo with her favorite toy.
Regulatory
NATA Meets With the HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce
In September, NATA leadership met with officials from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce to discuss the athletic training profession and the role athletic trainers play in the nation’s health care workforce. The bureau works to strengthen that workforce by supporting the education and training of health care professionals and helping ensure communities have access to qualified providers. Its programs include scholarships and loan repayment opportunities for health professionals, as well as grants for workforce training and development. Building on this meeting, NATA will work to identify ways to include athletic trainers in the bureau’s initiatives and uncover funding resources and opportunities that can support athletic trainers and the students preparing to join the profession.
NATA Discusses Rural Health Care With HRSA
In October, NATA leadership met with officials from HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to discuss the athletic training profession and the role athletic trainers play in providing care in rural and underserved communities. The office works to expand access to high-quality care through policy analysis and grant programs that build health care capacity and workforce development at the state and local levels. NATA will continue working with the office to find ways for athletic trainers to be part of its rural health initiatives and identify funding opportunities that can expand access to athletic training services in the communities that need them most.
Coalition Update: Physical Activity Alliance
NATA Director of Government Affairs Deanna Kuykendall joined an advocacy panel at the Physical Activity Alliance’s annual Move With Us Symposium in Washington, D.C. Drawing on her experience as NATA’s in-house lobbyist, Kuykendall shared how organizations can work with federal and state policymakers to advance policies that protect the health and safety of physically active people across the lifespan. The panel also explored ways that partner organizations can strengthen their collective advocacy voice. As a member of the Physical Activity Alliance Board of Directors, NATA helps shape the organization’s priorities and works in collaboration with fellow alliance members to help promote physical activity and the professionals who support it.
NATA Director of Government Affairs Deanna Kuykendall pictured with American Medical Society for Sports Medicine representatives Brian William and Leonardo Oliveira, MD, FACP, FACSM.
Coalition Update: Smart Heart Sports Coalition
Started in 2023, the Smart Heart Sports Coalition advocates for the implementation of three best practice policies to prevent death from sudden cardiac arrest:
- Emergency action plans for each high school athletic venue that are widely distributed, posted, rehearsed and updated annually
- Clearly marked automated external defibrillator at each athletic venue or within one to three minutes of each venue where high school practices or competitions are held
- CPR and AED education for coaches
Currently, 35 states have all three policies in place. Stay tuned for information on upcoming coalition work in the upcoming state legislative sessions in 2027.
Coalition Update: Advanced Professions Workforce Alliance
NATA continues its work on the Advanced Professions Workforce Alliance, which was formed to address rule changes in student loan lending. The alliance is pursuing legislative fixes in the next Congress to ensure that students in advanced health care professions, including athletic training, have access to the financial resources they need to complete their education. NATA is also committed to keeping athletic training education affordable so that cost doesn’t stand in the way of a strong and diverse pipeline of future athletic trainers.
For latest information on the Department of Education rule, visit the Federal Student Aid website.
Reimbursement
Have you checked out the resources NATA offers to help ATs demonstrate their value and worth through revenue models, improve their understanding of the business of athletic training or help them navigate reimbursement for athletic training services? Visit the Revenue & Reimbursement section of the NATA website for more information.
NATAPAC
Congratulations, 2026 NATAPAC Sweepstakes Winners
The 2026 NATAPAC Sweepstakes raised $10,690 for NATAPAC, the highest ever. We also hit a milestone we're especially proud of: 200 members bought tickets, the most in the sweepstakes' history. Join us in congratulating this year's winners:
- Victoria Mosse, AT Ret. (Oregon)
- Rod Walters, DAT, SCAT, ATC (South Carolina)
- Michael Wilkinson, MS, ATC (Mississippi)
Every ticket helps NATAPAC support candidates who champion athletic trainers and the patients you serve. Every contribution helps make sure the profession's voice is heard on Capitol Hill. We're so grateful to the members who support the NATAPAC.
Back the PAC: Support NATAPAC Through Dues Renewal
Decisions made in Washington, D.C., shape how athletic trainers practice, get paid and reach their patients. NATAPAC supports candidates for federal office from both parties that back athletic training. NATAPAC is the sole political action committee representing and advocating for the athletic training profession.
As you renew your NATA membership, consider adding a contribution to NATAPAC. A contribution of any amount helps make sure athletic trainers have a strong voice and recognition in Washington. D.C.
Alternatively, you can make a one-time or recurring contribution.
Individual contributions to NATAPAC are used to support candidates running for federal office. Contributions to NATAPAC are not tax deductible. Contributions are strictly voluntary and are not a condition of NATA membership. No individual will benefit or be disadvantaged by the amount given or refusal to give. Contributions will be used for political purposes. You have the right to refuse to contribute without any reprisal. Federal law requires us to report the full name, address, occupation and employer of each individual whose contributions total more than $200 in a calendar year. FEC regulations prohibit contributions made with corporate checks or credit cards.
NATAPAC Approved Disbursements
The NATAPAC Advisory Board has approved $142,500 in disbursements to federal candidates who support the athletic training profession for the 2025-26 election cycle.
This doubles what the NATAPAC disbursed to candidates in the previous election cycle (2023-24), showing our commitment to amplifying the voice, value and recognition of ATs in Washington, D.C.
