AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE INTERSTATE COMPACT FOR ATHLETIC TRAINERS.
HB285 creates the Delaware Athletic Trainer Compact by adding a new Chapter 26A to Title 24 of the Delaware Code. The compact is designed to let licensed athletic trainers practice across state lines in other participating member states through a “compact privilege,” while preserving each state’s authority over licensure, scope of practice, discipline, and public safety. It sets out the conditions a state must meet to join the compact, including maintaining licensure standards, complaint procedures, background checks, data reporting, and compliance with compact rules.
For individual athletic trainers, the bill establishes eligibility requirements for interstate practice, including holding an active, unrestricted qualifying license, meeting education and exam standards, passing a criminal background check, maintaining continuing competence, and complying with jurisprudence requirements in remote states. It also provides special fee relief for active military members and their spouses, and it allows trainers to hold compact privileges in multiple member states. The compact becomes effective only after seven states enact it, and member states may withdraw later with 180 days’ notice.
The bill would add a new interstate licensure compact to Delaware law and supersede conflicting state laws to the extent of any conflict with the compact. It would require Delaware, if it participates, to share licensure and disciplinary data through a compact data system, recognize compact privileges from other member states, and enforce compact rules governing athletic trainers practicing in Delaware. It also creates a multi-state compact commission with rulemaking, enforcement, and dispute-resolution authority that would operate as a joint governmental body among participating states.
The available voting history shows strong support: the House passed the bill on third reading 40-0. The bill text and synopsis present the measure as a workforce-mobility and public-access initiative, emphasizing continuity of care, reduced administrative burden, and support for military families. No committee transcript is available, but the unanimous vote suggests broad bipartisan approval and little visible opposition in the recorded history.
The main policy tradeoff is between interstate mobility and state control. Supporters of the compact appear to favor easier cross-border practice, streamlined licensing, and improved access to athletic training services, while the compact’s structure preserves state authority over scope of practice, discipline, and local jurisprudence requirements. Potential points of concern include the compact commission’s rulemaking power, mandatory data sharing, background-check requirements, and the extent to which compact rules may supersede conflicting state law. The bill also requires states to adopt language not materially different from the model compact, which may raise concerns about flexibility for Delaware-specific licensing policy.