Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateVirginiaIntroduced
HB 841: Practice of athletic training; adds dry needling to definition.
Mark C. Downey
HB 841 status: Introduced — Continued from last session (updated Jul 21, 2026).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
64OUT OF 100
Score:64/100 civic fit
Risk:Moderate Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 45/100
Constitutionality95%
Bipartisan50%
Public opinion65%
Bill summary
Professions and occupations; definition of "practice of athletic training"; dry needling. Adds dry needling to the definition of "practice of athletic training," as such term relates to the practice of medicine and other healing arts, and directs the Board of Medicine to adopt regulations requiring training and certification for the practice of dry needling by athletic trainers.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- expands scope of practice for athletic trainers
- creates new professional certification opportunities
- provides consumers more treatment options
Risks
- imposes new training/certification costs on practitioners
- potential for increased professional liability insurance rates
- regulatory compliance costs for medical facilities
Society
Positive outlook
65%
Benefits
- improves access to localized therapeutic care
- integrates dry needling into standard athletic training
- potentially reduces wait times for injury treatment
Risks
- potential variation in practitioner skill levels
- risk of patient confusion regarding service standards
- dependency on effective regulatory oversight
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
Positive outlook
70%
Benefits
- mandates formal Board of Medicine oversight
- establishes clear regulatory requirements for training
- requires state-level certification standards
Risks
- relies on future agency rulemaking speed
- limited legislative oversight once rules are drafted
- potential for regulatory capture by interest groups
Public Health & Safety
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- standardizes dry needling within a medical framework
- improves oversight of an invasive procedure
- encourages advanced clinical skill development
Risks
- inherent medical risks of needle-based procedures
- potential for harm if training is inadequate
- uncertainty regarding regulatory rigor
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
medical procedure risks inherent in invasive techniques
Analysis scope
analysis based solely on legislative abstract
04
Where it stands
Official record- IntroducedCurrent
- CommitteeUpcoming
- Chamber votesUpcoming
- Final agreementUpcoming
- GovernorUpcoming
- EnactedUpcoming
05
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06
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