BILL NUMBER: AB 1114 CHAPTERED 10/07/05 CHAPTER 648 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 7, 2005 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 7, 2005 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 30, 2005 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 25, 2005 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 1, 2005 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Yee FEBRUARY 22, 2005 An act to amend Section 4945 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to acupuncture. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1114, Yee Acupuncture: continuing education. Existing law, the Acupuncture Licensure Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of acupuncturists by the Acupuncture Board. Existing law requires a licensed acupuncturist to complete 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years as a condition for renewal of his or her license. This bill would instead require a licensed acupuncturist to complete 50 hours of continuing education every 2 years. The bill would require that no more than 5 of the hours of continuing education be spent on issues unrelated to clinical matters or the actual provision of health care to patients. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 4945 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 4945. (a) The board shall establish standards for continuing education for acupuncturists. (b) The board shall require each acupuncturist to complete 50 hours of continuing education every two years as a condition for renewal of his or her license. No more than five hours of continuing education in each two-year period may be spent on issues unrelated to clinical matters or the actual provision of health care to patients. A provider of continuing education shall apply to the board for approval to offer continuing education courses for credit toward this requirement on a form developed by the board, shall pay a fee covering the cost of approval and for the monitoring of the provider by the board and shall set forth the following information on the application: (1) Course content. (2) Test criteria. (3) Hours of continuing education credit requested for the course. (4) Experience and training of instructors. (5) Other information as required by the board. (6) That interpreters or bilingual instruction will be made available, when necessary. (c) Licensees residing out of state or out of the country shall comply with the continuing education requirements. (d) Providers of continuing education shall be monitored by the board as determined by the board. (e) If the board determines that any acupuncturist has not obtained the required number of hours of continuing education, it may renew the acupuncturist's license and require that the deficient hours of continuing education be made up during the following renewal period in addition to the current continuing education required for that period. If any acupuncturist fails to make up the deficient hours and complete the current requirement of hours of continuing education during the subsequent renewal period, then his or her license to practice acupuncture shall not be renewed until all the required hours are completed and documented to the board.