AB 758, as introduced, Chau. Acupuncture: education and training programs.
The Acupuncture Licensure Act provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of acupuncture by the Acupuncture Board within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The act, until January 1, 2017, requires the board to establish standards for the approval of schools and colleges offering education and training in the practice of an acupuncturist, as specified. The act, commencing January 1, 2017, defines an “approved educational and training program,” for purposes of licensure as an acupuncturist, as a school or college that: offers curriculum that has been submitted to and approved by the board and includes specified hours of didactic and laboratory training and supervised clinical instruction; is approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education or is the appropriate out-of-state governmental educational authority; and is accredited or granted candidacy status by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM), or has submitted a letter of intent to pursue accreditation to the ACAOM, as specified. The act, commencing January 1, 2017, requires the board, within 30 days of receiving curriculum submitted by a school or college pursuant to these provisions, to review the curriculum, determine whether the curriculum satisfies the board’s requirements, and notify the school or college, the ACAOM, and the bureau of whether the board has approved the curriculum.
This bill would include another accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education as an alternative to the ACAOM in the above provisions. The bill would require the board to conduct site visits to each site of a school or college of acupuncture to inspect or reinspect the school or college for purposes of approval or continued approval of its training program, and to impose a fee for the site visits in an amount to recover direct reasonable regulatory costs incurred by the board in conducting the inspection and evaluation of the school or college.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 4927.5 of the Business and Professions
2Code, as added by Section 2 of Chapter 397 of the Statutes of
32014, is amended to read:
(a) For purposes of this chapter, “approved educational
5and training program” means a school or college offering education
6and training in the practice of an acupuncturist that meets all of
7the following requirements:
8(1) Offers curriculum that includes at least 3,000 hours of which
9at least 2,050 hours are didactic and laboratory training, and at
10least 950 hours are supervised clinical instruction. Has submitted
11that curriculum to the board, and has received board approval of
12the curriculum.
13(2) Has received full institutional approval under Article 6
14(commencing with Section 94885) of Chapter 8 of Part 59 of
15Division 10 of Title 3 of the Education Code in the field of
16traditional Asian medicine, or
in the case of institutions located
17outside of this state, approval by the appropriate governmental
18educational authority using standards equivalent to those of Article
196 (commencing with Section 94885) of Chapter 8 of Part 59 of
20Division 10 of Title 3 of the Education Code.
21(3) Meets any of the following:
22(A) Is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for
23Acupuncture and Orientalbegin delete Medicine.end deletebegin insert Medicine or another
P3 1accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department
2of Education.end insert
3(B) Has been granted candidacy status by the Accreditation
4Commission for Acupuncture and Orientalbegin delete Medicine.end deletebegin insert
or another
5accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department
6of Education.end insert
7(C) Has submitted a letter of intent to pursue accreditation to
8the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental
9Medicinebegin insert or another accreditation agency recognized by the United
10States Department of Educationend insert within 30 days of receiving full
11institutional approval pursuant to paragraph (2), and is granted
12candidacy status within three years of the date that letter was
13submitted.
14(b) Within 30 days after receiving curriculum pursuant to
15paragraph (1), the board shall review the curriculum, determine
16whether the curriculum satisfies the requirements established by
17the board, and notify the school or college, the Accreditation
18Commission for
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine,begin insert
any other
19accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department
20of Education,end insert and Bureau of Private and Postsecondary Education
21of whether the board has approved the curriculum.
22(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2017.
Section 4939.5 is added to the Business and Professions
24Code, to read:
(a) The board shall conduct site visits to each site of
26a school or college of acupuncture to inspect or reinspect the school
27or college for purposes of approval or continued approval of its
28training program.
29(b) The board shall impose a fee for the site visits in an amount
30to recover direct reasonable regulatory costs incurred by the board
31in conducting the inspection and evaluation of the school or
32college.
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