Bill Text: NY S03306 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relates to the licensing of acupuncturists and the practice of the profession of acupuncture; further establishes acupuncturists as mandatory reporters of suspected cases of child abuse and maltreatment.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-17 - PRINT NUMBER 3306B [S03306 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-S03306-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relates to the licensing of acupuncturists and the practice of the profession of acupuncture; further establishes acupuncturists as mandatory reporters of suspected cases of child abuse and maltreatment.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-17 - PRINT NUMBER 3306B [S03306 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-S03306-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 3306 2013-2014 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E January 31, 2013 ___________ Introduced by Sen. NOZZOLIO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law and the social services law, in relation to the licensing of acupuncturists and the practice of the profession of acupuncture, and establishing acupuncturists as mandato- ry reporters of suspected cases of child abuse and maltreatment THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 8211 of the 2 education law, as added by chapter 772 of the laws of 1990, is amended 3 to read as follows: 4 (a) "Profession of acupuncture" is the treating, by means of mechan- 5 ical, thermal or electrical stimulation effected by the insertion of 6 needles or by the application of heat, pressure or electrical stimu- 7 lation at a point or combination of points on the surface of the body 8 predetermined on the basis of the theory of the physiological interre- 9 lationship of body organs with an associated point or combination of 10 points for diseases, disorders and dysfunctions of the body for the 11 purpose of achieving a therapeutic or prophylactic effect. THE PROFES- 12 SION OF ACUPUNCTURE INCLUDES RECOMMENDATION OF TRADITIONAL REMEDIES AND 13 SUPPLEMENTS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE RECOMMENDATION OF DIET, 14 HERBS AND NATURAL PRODUCTS, AND THEIR PREPARATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH 15 TRADITIONAL AND MODERN PRACTICES OF MODERN EAST ASIAN OR ORIENTAL 16 (CHINESE, KOREAN OR JAPANESE) MEDICAL THEORY. ANY ACUPUNCTURIST WHOSE 17 PRACTICE INCLUDES THE RECOMMENDATION OF CUSTOM-MADE REMEDIES OR HERBAL 18 FORMULATIONS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE REQUIREMENT IMPOSED BY THE 19 PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION EIGHT-A OF SECTION EIGHTY-TWO HUNDRED FOURTEEN 20 OF THIS ARTICLE. 21 S 2. Subdivision 1 of section 8213 of the education law, as added by 22 chapter 772 of the laws of 1990, is amended to read as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01256-02-3 S. 3306 2 1 (1)(A) There is hereby established within the department a state board 2 for acupuncture. [The] ON AND BEFORE SEPTEMBER THIRTIETH, TWO THOUSAND 3 FOURTEEN, THE board shall consist of not less than eleven members to be 4 appointed by the board of regents on the recommendation of the commis- 5 sioner for the purpose of assisting the board of regents and the depart- 6 ment on matters of professional licensing and professional conduct in 7 accordance with section sixty-five hundred eight of this [chapter] 8 TITLE, four of whom shall be licensed acupuncturists, four of whom shall 9 be licensed physicians certified to use acupuncture and three of whom 10 shall be public members representing the consumer and community. [Of the 11 acupuncturists first appointed to the board, one may be a registered 12 specialist's assistant-acupuncture provided that the term of such regis- 13 tered specialist's assistant-acupuncture shall not be more than four 14 years.] Of the members first appointed, three shall be appointed for a 15 one year term, three shall be appointed for a two year term and three 16 shall be appointed for a three year term, and two shall be appointed for 17 a four year term. Thereafter all members shall serve for five year 18 terms. In the event that more than eleven members are appointed, a 19 majority of the additional members shall be licensed acupuncturists. The 20 members of the board shall select one of themselves as chairman to serve 21 for a one year term. 22 (B) ON AND AFTER OCTOBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN, THE BOARD SHALL 23 CONSIST OF NOT LESS THAN TWELVE MEMBERS APPOINTED AS SPECIFIED IN PARA- 24 GRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, EXCEPT THAT AT LEAST SIX OF SUCH MEMBERS 25 SHALL BE LICENSED ACUPUNCTURISTS, THREE OF SUCH MEMBERS SHALL BE 26 LICENSED PHYSICIANS CERTIFIED TO USE ACUPUNCTURE AND THREE OF WHOM SHALL 27 BE PUBLIC MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY. NO MEMBER WHO 28 IS A LICENSED PHYSICIAN CERTIFIED TO USE ACUPUNCTURE AND WHO IS SERVING 29 ON THE BOARD ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE REQUIRED 30 TO VACATE HIS OR HER POSITION AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD AS A RESULT OF 31 THE REDUCTION IN SUCH PHYSICIAN MEMBERS FROM FOUR TO THREE AS SPECIFIED 32 IN THIS PARAGRAPH, BUT SUCH CHANGE IN COMPOSITION SHALL BE MADE UPON THE 33 EXPIRATION OF TERMS OF OFFICE, OR VACANCIES IN OFFICE, OCCURRING ON AND 34 AFTER SUCH DATE. 35 S 3. Subdivision 8 of section 8214 of the education law, as added by 36 chapter 772 of the laws of 1990, is amended and a new subdivision 8-a is 37 added to read as follows: 38 (8) Registration: if a license is granted, register triennially with 39 the department, including present home and business address and such 40 other pertinent information as the department requires[.]; AND 41 (8-A) SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR RECOMMENDATION OF CUSTOM-MADE REMEDIES 42 OR HERBAL FORMULATIONS: ON AND AFTER OCTOBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FOUR- 43 TEEN, AN APPLICANT WHOSE PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT IN CONNECTION WITH THE 44 PRACTICE OF ACUPUNCTURE SHALL INCLUDE THE RECOMMENDATION OF CUSTOM-MADE 45 REMEDIES OR HERBAL FORMULATIONS MUST SUBMIT EVIDENCE OF SUCCESSFUL 46 PASSAGE OF THE HERBAL EXAMINATION MODULE OF A NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL 47 ORGANIZATION IN THE FIELD OF ACUPUNCTURE RECOGNIZED FOR THIS PURPOSE BY 48 THE COMMISSIONER. 49 S 4. Section 8216 of the education law is amended by adding a new 50 subdivision 8 to read as follows: 51 (8) ANY PERSON WHO IS AN ACUPUNCTURIST LICENSED TO PRACTICE ACUPUNC- 52 TURE IN ANOTHER STATE OR COUNTRY MAY PRACTICE ACUPUNCTURE IN THIS STATE 53 WITHOUT A LICENSE IF HE OR SHE IS CONDUCTING A TEACHING CLINICAL DEMON- 54 STRATION IN THIS STATE IN CONNECTION WITH A PROGRAM OF BASIC CLINICAL 55 EDUCATION, GRADUATE EDUCATION, OR POST-GRADUATE EDUCATION IN AN APPROVED 56 SCHOOL OF ACUPUNCTURE OR IN ITS AFFILIATED CLINICAL FACILITY OR HEALTH S. 3306 3 1 CARE AGENCY, OR BEFORE A GROUP OF LICENSED ACUPUNCTURISTS WHO ARE 2 MEMBERS OF A PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY. 3 S 5. The education law is amended by adding a new section 8217 to read 4 as follows: 5 S 8217. MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION. 1. (A) EACH LICENSED ACUPUNC- 6 TURIST REQUIRED UNDER ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED THIRTY OF THIS CHAPTER TO 7 REGISTER TRIENNIALLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO PRACTICE IN THE STATE SHALL 8 COMPLY WITH PROVISIONS OF THE MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIRE- 9 MENTS PRESCRIBED IN SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION EXCEPT AS SET FORTH 10 IN PARAGRAPHS (B) AND (C) OF THIS SUBDIVISION. ACUPUNCTURISTS WHO DO NOT 11 SATISFY THE MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS SHALL NOT PRAC- 12 TICE UNTIL THEY HAVE MET SUCH REQUIREMENTS, EXCEPT THAT AN ACUPUNCTURIST 13 MAY PRACTICE WITHOUT HAVING MET SUCH REQUIREMENTS IF HE OR SHE IS ISSUED 14 A CONDITIONAL REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE AS SPECIFIED IN SUBDIVISION THREE 15 OF THIS SECTION. 16 (B) ACUPUNCTURISTS SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM THE MANDATORY CONTINUING 17 EDUCATION REQUIREMENT FOR THE TRIENNIAL REGISTRATION PERIOD DURING WHICH 18 THEY ARE FIRST LICENSED. IN ACCORD WITH THE INTENT OF THIS SECTION, 19 ADJUSTMENT TO THE MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT MAY BE 20 GRANTED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR REASONS OF HEALTH CERTIFIED BY AN APPRO- 21 PRIATE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL, FOR EXTENDED ACTIVE DUTY WITH THE ARMED 22 FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, OR FOR OTHER GOOD CAUSE ACCEPTABLE TO THE 23 DEPARTMENT WHICH MAY PREVENT COMPLIANCE. 24 (C) A LICENSED ACUPUNCTURIST NOT ENGAGED IN PRACTICE AS DETERMINED BY 25 THE DEPARTMENT, SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM THE MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION 26 REQUIREMENT UPON THE FILING OF A STATEMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT DECLARING 27 SUCH STATUS. ANY LICENSEE WHO RETURNS TO THE PRACTICE OF ACUPUNCTURE 28 DURING THE TRIENNIAL REGISTRATION PERIOD SHALL NOTIFY THE DEPARTMENT 29 PRIOR TO REENTERING THE PROFESSION AND SHALL MEET SUCH MANDATORY EDUCA- 30 TION REQUIREMENTS AS SHALL BE PRESCRIBED BY REGULATIONS OF THE COMMIS- 31 SIONER. 32 2. DURING EACH TRIENNIAL REGISTRATION PERIOD AN APPLICANT FOR REGIS- 33 TRATION SHALL COMPLETE A MINIMUM OF THIRTY-SIX HOURS OF ACCEPTABLE 34 FORMAL CONTINUING EDUCATION, AS SPECIFIED IN SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS 35 SECTION, PROVIDED THAT NO MORE THAN EIGHTEEN HOURS OF SUCH CONTINUING 36 EDUCATION SHALL CONSIST OF SELF-STUDY COURSES. ANY ACUPUNCTURIST WHOSE 37 FIRST REGISTRATION DATE FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION 38 OCCURS LESS THAN THREE YEARS FROM SUCH EFFECTIVE DATE, BUT ON OR AFTER 39 OCTOBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN, SHALL COMPLETE CONTINUING EDUCA- 40 TION HOURS ON A PRORATED BASIS AT THE RATE OF ONE HOUR PER MONTH FOR THE 41 PERIOD BEGINNING OCTOBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN UP TO THE FIRST 42 REGISTRATION DATE THEREAFTER, BUT NO ACUPUNCTURIST SHALL IN ANY EVENT BE 43 REQUIRED TO COMPLETE LESS THAN SIX HOURS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION. A 44 LICENSEE WHO HAS NOT SATISFIED THE MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION 45 REQUIREMENTS SHALL NOT BE ISSUED A TRIENNIAL REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE BY 46 THE DEPARTMENT AND SHALL NOT PRACTICE UNLESS AND UNTIL A CONDITIONAL 47 REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED AS PROVIDED FOR IN SUBDIVISION THREE 48 OF THIS SECTION. CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS TAKEN DURING ONE TRIENNIUM 49 MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUBSEQUENT TRIENNIUM. THE MANDATORY CONTIN- 50 UING EDUCATION FEE SHALL BE THIRTY DOLLARS, SHALL BE PAYABLE ON OR 51 BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF EACH TRIENNIAL REGISTRATION PERIOD, AND SHALL BE 52 PAID IN ADDITION TO THE TRIENNIAL REGISTRATION FEE REQUIRED BY SECTION 53 SIXTY-SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE. 54 3. THE DEPARTMENT, IN ITS DISCRETION, MAY ISSUE A CONDITIONAL REGIS- 55 TRATION TO A LICENSEE WHO FAILS TO MEET THE CONTINUING EDUCATION 56 REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION BUT WHO S. 3306 4 1 AGREES TO MAKE UP ANY DEFICIENCIES AND COMPLETE ANY ADDITIONAL EDUCATION 2 WHICH THE DEPARTMENT MAY REQUIRE. THE FEE FOR SUCH A CONDITIONAL REGIS- 3 TRATION SHALL BE THE SAME AS, AND IN ADDITION TO, THE FEE FOR THE TRIEN- 4 NIAL REGISTRATION. THE DURATION OF SUCH CONDITIONAL REGISTRATION SHALL 5 BE DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT BUT SHALL NOT EXCEED ONE YEAR. ANY 6 LICENSEE WHO IS NOTIFIED OF THE DENIAL OF REGISTRATION FOR FAILURE TO 7 SUBMIT EVIDENCE, SATISFACTORY TO THE DEPARTMENT, OF REQUIRED CONTINUING 8 EDUCATION AND WHO PRACTICES ACUPUNCTURE WITHOUT SUCH REGISTRATION, MAY 9 BE SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS PURSUANT TO SECTION SIXTY-FIVE 10 HUNDRED TEN OF THIS TITLE. 11 4. (A) AS USED IN SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION, "ACCEPTABLE FORMAL 12 CONTINUING EDUCATION" SHALL MEAN FORMAL COURSES OF LEARNING WHICH 13 CONTRIBUTE TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN ACUPUNCTURE AND WHICH MEET THE 14 STANDARDS PRESCRIBED BY REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER. THE DEPARTMENT 15 MAY, IN ITS DISCRETION AND AS NEEDED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE HEALTH AND 16 WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC, REQUIRE THE COMPLETION OF CONTINUING EDUCATION 17 COURSES IN SPECIFIC SUBJECTS. TO FULFILL THIS MANDATORY CONTINUING 18 EDUCATION REQUIREMENT, COURSES SHALL BE TAKEN FROM A SPONSOR APPROVED BY 19 THE DEPARTMENT, PURSUANT TO THE REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER OR 20 OTHERWISE QUALIFY PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION. 21 (B) ANY ACUPUNCTURIST WHO (I) IS A PROFESSOR, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, 22 ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OR INSTRUCTOR AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION 23 LOCATED IN THIS STATE OR (II) IS SPONSORED BY AN APPROVED INSTITUTION OR 24 ASSOCIATION AND WHO SERVES AS AN INSTRUCTOR IN A COURSE OF CONTINUING 25 EDUCATION WHICH IS APPROVED AS SPECIFIED IN THE STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY 26 THE COMMISSIONER, MAY RECEIVE CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT FOR COURSES IN 27 WHICH HE OR SHE SERVES AS THE INSTRUCTOR. FOR EVERY TWELVE HOURS OF 28 IN-CLASS INSTRUCTION, SUCH ACUPUNCTURIST SHALL RECEIVE ONE HOUR OF 29 CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT, UP TO A MAXIMUM OF EIGHTEEN HOURS, FOR ANY 30 TRIENNIAL PERIOD. EVIDENCE OF SUCH INSTRUCTION SHALL BE SUBMITTED, AND 31 CREDIT APPROVED, AS SPECIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER. 32 5. ACUPUNCTURISTS SHALL MAINTAIN ADEQUATE DOCUMENTATION OF COMPLETION 33 OF ACCEPTABLE FORMAL CONTINUING EDUCATION AND SHALL PROVIDE SUCH 34 DOCUMENTATION AT THE REQUEST OF THE DEPARTMENT. FAILURE TO PROVIDE SUCH 35 DOCUMENTATION UPON THE REQUEST OF THE DEPARTMENT SHALL BE AN ACT OF 36 MISCONDUCT SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS PURSUANT TO SECTION 37 SIXTY-FIVE HUNDRED TEN OF THIS TITLE. 38 S 6. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 6507 of the education 39 law, as amended by chapter 356 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read 40 as follows: 41 a. Establish standards for preprofessional and professional education, 42 experience and licensing examinations as required to implement the arti- 43 cle for each profession. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 44 commissioner shall establish standards requiring that all persons apply- 45 ing, on or after January first, nineteen hundred ninety-one, initially, 46 or for the renewal of, a license, registration or limited permit to be a 47 physician, chiropractor, dentist, registered nurse, podiatrist, ACUPUNC- 48 TURIST, optometrist, psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed master social 49 worker, licensed clinical social worker, licensed creative arts thera- 50 pist, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed mental health 51 counselor, licensed psychoanalyst, or dental hygienist shall, in addi- 52 tion to all the other licensure, certification or permit requirements, 53 have completed two hours of coursework or training regarding the iden- 54 tification and reporting of child abuse and maltreatment. The coursework 55 or training shall be obtained from an institution or provider which has 56 been approved by the department to provide such coursework or training. S. 3306 5 1 The coursework or training shall include information regarding the phys- 2 ical and behavioral indicators of child abuse and maltreatment and the 3 statutory reporting requirements set out in sections four hundred thir- 4 teen through four hundred twenty of the social services law, including 5 but not limited to, when and how a report must be made, what other 6 actions the reporter is mandated or authorized to take, the legal 7 protections afforded reporters, and the consequences for failing to 8 report. Such coursework or training may also include information regard- 9 ing the physical and behavioral indicators of the abuse of individuals 10 with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities and volun- 11 tary reporting of abused or neglected adults to the [office of mental 12 retardation and] FOR PEOPLE WITH developmental disabilities or the local 13 adult protective services unit. Each applicant shall provide the depart- 14 ment with documentation showing that he or she has completed the 15 required training. The department shall provide an exemption from the 16 child abuse and maltreatment training requirements to any applicant who 17 requests such an exemption and who shows, to the department's satisfac- 18 tion, that there would be no need because of the nature of his or her 19 practice for him or her to complete such training; 20 S 7. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 413 of the social 21 services law, as amended by section 3 of part D of chapter 501 of the 22 laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows: 23 (a) The following persons and officials are required to report or 24 cause a report to be made in accordance with this title when they have 25 reasonable cause to suspect that a child coming before them in their 26 professional or official capacity is an abused or maltreated child, or 27 when they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is an abused or 28 maltreated child where the parent, guardian, custodian or other person 29 legally responsible for such child comes before them in their profes- 30 sional or official capacity and states from personal knowledge facts, 31 conditions or circumstances which, if correct, would render the child an 32 abused or maltreated child: any physician; registered physician assist- 33 ant; surgeon; medical examiner; coroner; dentist; dental hygienist; 34 osteopath; optometrist; chiropractor; podiatrist; ACUPUNCTURIST; resi- 35 dent; intern; psychologist; registered nurse; social worker; emergency 36 medical technician; licensed creative arts therapist; licensed marriage 37 and family therapist; licensed mental health counselor; licensed psycho- 38 analyst; hospital personnel engaged in the admission, examination, care 39 or treatment of persons; a Christian Science practitioner; school offi- 40 cial, which includes but is not limited to school teacher, school guid- 41 ance counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, school nurse, 42 school administrator or other school personnel required to hold a teach- 43 ing or administrative license or certificate; social services worker; 44 director of a children's overnight camp, summer day camp or traveling 45 summer day camp, as such camps are defined in section thirteen hundred 46 ninety-two of the public health law; day care center worker; school-age 47 child care worker; provider of family or group family day care; or any 48 other child care or foster care worker; mental health professional; 49 substance abuse counselor; alcoholism counselor; all persons creden- 50 tialed by the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services; peace 51 officer; police officer; district attorney or assistant district attor- 52 ney; investigator employed in the office of a district attorney; or 53 other law enforcement official. 54 S 8. This act shall take effect October 1, 2014; provided, however, 55 that if section 3 of part D of chapter 501 of the laws of 2012 is not in 56 effect on such effective date, then the amendments made to paragraph (a) S. 3306 6 1 of subdivision 1 of section 413 of the social services law by section 2 seven of this act shall take effect on the same date and same manner as 3 section 3 of part D of chapter 501 of the laws of 2012, as amended, 4 takes effect; provided, however, that effective immediately, the state 5 education department is authorized to take such steps in advance of such 6 effective date, including the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any 7 rule or regulation as may be necessary, to ensure the timely implementa- 8 tion of the provisions of this act on such effective date.