SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1255        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 870

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act Relative to Personal Trainers..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 11A of chapter 13 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 2, the word “eleven” and inserting in place thereof the figure:- “13”.

SECTION 2. Said section 11A of said chapter 13, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 18 and 19, the following words “, and one such members shall be selected from and shall represent the general public” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- ; one shall be selected from and shall represent the general public;  one members shall be a personal trainer who holds a certification from a national certification organization that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or is licensed in accordance with section 23B of chapter 112; and one members shall be a professor from an academic institution who specializes in the area of kinesiology and health.

SECTION 3. Section 23B of chapter 112, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “assistants”, in lines 7 and 8, the following words:- and personal trainers.

SECTION . Said section 23B of said chapter 112, as so appearing, is further amended by striking out, in line 13, the words “or twenty-three J” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- 23J, or section 23F ½.

SECTION 3. Said chapter 112 is hereby amended by inserting after section 23F the following section:-

Section 23F1/2. An applicant for licensure as a personal trainer shall:

(a)be a graduate of an accredited educational program leading to professional qualification in personal training and approved by the board;

(b)hold a certification in personal training from a national certification organization that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies; and

(c)have passed an examination administered by the board; provided, that such examination shall be written, and may, at the discretion of the board, in addition, be oral and demonstrative, and shall test the applicant’s knowledge of the basic and clinical sciences as they relate to physical therapy, including the applicant’s professional skills and judgment in the utilization of personal training techniques and methods, and other subjects as the board may deem useful to determine the applicant’s fitness to act as a personal trainer; provided, further, that the examination shall be conducted by the board at least twice each year and at times and places to be determined by the board.