HB 1231

                            Second Regular Session
                         Seventy-fifth General Assembly
                           STATE OF COLORADO
                                                                           INTRODUCED
LLS NO. 26-0485.01 Jacob Baus x2173  HOUSE BILL 26-1231
                             HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
 Bradley and Lukens,
                            SENATE SPONSORSHIP
 Marchman,
House Committees  Senate Committees
Education
                                     A BILL FOR AN ACT
101CONCERNING AUTHORIZING PHYSICAL THERAPISTS TO PERFORM
102PREPARTICIPATION PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS FOR SCHOOL
103ACTIVITIES.
                                           Bill Summary
               (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
       not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
       passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
       applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
       http://leg.colorado.gov.)
              The bill requires that if a statewide high school activities
       association (association) requires a physical examination and written
       clearance from a health-care provider before a student may play or
       participate in a supervised team athletic activity, the association shall
       permit a licensed physical therapist to provide the physical examination
           Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
        Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
              Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
and written clearance for the student to play or participate.
1  Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
2SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly
3  finds and declares that:
4(a) Physical therapists licensed pursuant to article 285 of title 12,
5  Colorado Revised Statutes, are health-care professionals who complete
6  graduate-level education and clinical training in the evaluation of the
7  musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, and pulmonary systems;
8(b) Preparticipation physical examinations for interscholastic
9  athletic activities are intended to assess a student's physical readiness to
10 safely participate in an athletic activity and identify potential risk factors
11 for injury or illness;
12(c) Licensed physical therapists are trained and qualified to
13 perform evaluations of strength, flexibility, balance, endurance,
14 functional movement, and cardiovascular response to physical activity
15 and to make appropriate participation determinations consistent with their
16 scope of practice;
17(d)    The bylaws of the Colorado High School Activities
18 Association currently require a physical examination and written medical
19 clearance for participation in interscholastic athletics and permit such
20 clearance to be provided by licensed physicians, physician assistants,
21 advanced     practice    registered   nurses,   nurse    practitioners,   and
22 chiropractors; and
23(e)     Permitting licensed physical therapists to perform
24 preparticipation physical examinations and provide written clearance for
25 interscholastic athletic activities increases access to timely care for
                                      -2-  HB26-1231
1 students and families without compromising student safety.
2SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-32-116.5, add
3 (6.5) as follows:
422-32-116.5. Extracurricular and interscholastic activities -
5 definitions.
6(6.5) IF A STATEWIDE HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION
7 REQUIRES A PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND WRITTEN CLEARANCE FROM A
8 HEALTH-CARE PROVIDER BEFORE A STUDENT MAY PLAY OR PARTICIPATE
9 IN A TEAM ATHLETIC ACTIVITY, THE STATEWIDE HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
10 ASSOCIATION SHALL PERMIT A PHYSICAL THERAPIST LICENSED PURSUANT
11 TO ARTICLE 285 OF TITLE 12 TO PROVIDE THE PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND
12 WRITTEN CLEARANCE FOR THE STUDENT TO PLAY OR PARTICIPATE.
13SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
14 takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
15 ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
16 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a
17 referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the
18 state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act
19 within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect
20 unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
21 November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the
22 official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.
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