OLR BILL ANALYSIS

sSB 276

AN ACT CONCERNING LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR ACUPUNCTURISTS.

SUMMARY:

This bill increases required didactic and clinical training for acupuncturist licensure applicants from 1,350 hours to 1,905 hours. It also increases required clinical training from 500 hours to 660 hours, as part of the total 1,905 required training hours.

Current law requires someone seeking acupuncturist licensure to pass a Department of Public Health (DPH) prescribed examination. The bill alternatively allows applicants to pass the acupuncture certification examination required by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). In practice, DPH already requires applicants to pass the NCCAOM exam.

By law, acupuncturist licenses must be renewed every two years. The bill requires acupuncturists seeking license renewal to document that they have (1) current NCCAOM acupuncture certification or (2) passed a DPH-prescribed examination.

The bill also makes technical changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2012

COMMITTEE ACTION

Public Health Committee

Joint Favorable