Acupuncture Licensure Act - Section 4925-4934.2

California Acupuncture Laws

CALIFORNIA BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE: SECTION 4925-4934.2

4925.

  1. This chapter constitutes the chapter on acupuncture of the Business and Professions Code.
    This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Acupuncture Licensure Act. Whenever a reference is made to the Acupuncture Licensure Act by the provisions of any statute, it is to be construed as referring to the provisions of this chapter.
  2. Any reference in this chapter, or to the regulations pertaining thereto, to "certificate" or "certification" shall hereafter mean "license" or "licensure." Any reference to the term "certifying" means "licensing," and the term "certificate holder" means "licensee." Any reference to the "Acupuncture Committee" or "committee" means the "Acupuncture Board" or "board."

4926.

In its concern with the need to eliminate the fundamental causes of illness, not simply to remove symptoms, and with the need to treat the whole person, the Legislature intends to establish in this article, a framework for the practice of the art and science of Asian medicine through acupuncture.

The purpose of this article is to encourage the more effective utilization of the skills of acupuncturists by California citizens desiring a holistic approach to health and to remove the existing legal constraints which are an unnecessary hindrance to the more effective provision of health care services. Also, as it effects the public health, safety, and welfare, there is a necessity that individuals practicing acupuncture be subject to regulation and control as a primary health care profession.

4927.

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

  1. "Board" means the Acupuncture "Board".
  2. "Person" means any individual, organization, or corporate body, except that only individuals may be licensed under this chapter.
  3. "Acupuncturist" means an individual to whom a license has been issued to practice acupuncture pursuant to this chapter, which is in effect and is not suspended or revoked.
  4. "Acupuncture" means the stimulation of a certain point or points on or near the surface of the body by the insertion of needles to prevent or modify the perception of pain or to normalize physiological functions, including pain control, for the treatment of certain diseases or dysfunctions of the body and includes the techniques of electroacupuncture, cupping, and moxibustion.

4928.

The Acupuncture Board, which consists of seven members, shall enforce and administer this chapter. The appointing powers, as described in Section 4929, may appoint to the board a person who was a member of the prior board prior to the repeal of that board on January 1, 2006.

This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2008, and as of January 1, 2009, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, which becomes effective on or before January 1, 2009, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.

The repeal of this section renders the board subject to the review required by Division 1.2 (commencing with Section 473).

4928.1.

Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the Acupuncture Board in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions. Whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted, the protection of the public shall be paramount.

4929.

Three members of the board shall be acupuncturists with at least five years of experience in acupuncture and four members shall be public members who do not hold a license or certificate as a physician and surgeon or acupuncturist. The acupuncturist members shall be appointed to represent a cross section of the cultural backgrounds of licensed members of the acupuncturist profession.

The Governor shall appoint the three acupuncturist members and two of the public members. All members appointed to the board by the Governor shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate. The Senate Rules Committee and the Speaker of the Assembly shall each appoint a public member. Any member of the board may be removed by the appointing power for neglect of duty, misconduct, or malfeasance in office, after being provided with a written statement of the charges and an opportunity to be heard.

4930.

Each member of the board shall be appointed for a term of four years.

4931.

Each member of the board shall receive per diem and expenses as provided in Section 103.

4933.

  1. The board shall administer this chapter.
  2. The board may adopt, amend, or repeal, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), regulations as may be necessary to enable it to carry into effect the provisions of law relating to the practice of acupuncture.
  3. Five members of the board shall constitute a quorum to conduct business.
  4. It shall require an affirmative vote of a majority of those present at a meeting of the board to take any action or pass any motion.

4934.

  1. The board, by and with the approval of the director, may employ personnel necessary for the administration of this chapter, and the board, by and with the approval of the director, may appoint an executive officer who is exempt from the provisions of the Civil Service Act.
  2. This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2008, and, as of January 1, 2009, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, which becomes effective on or before January 1, 2009, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.

4934.1.

  1. The Legislature requests the Milton Marks "Little Hoover" Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy to conduct a comprehensive analysis consisting of the following reviews and evaluations and shall report their findings and recommendations to the Legislature by September 1, 2004:
    1. Review and make recommendations on the scope of practice for acupuncturists.
    2. Review and make recommendations on the educational requirements for acupuncturists.
    3. Evaluate the national examination, administered by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and make recommendations as to whether or not the national examination should be offered in California in lieu of, or as part of, the state examination.
    4. Evaluate and make recommendations on the approval process of the Accreditation Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, the approval process of the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, and the board's approval process.
  2. The board shall pay for all of the costs associated with the comprehensive analysis. An amount to pay for all of the costs associated with the comprehensive analysis, up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000), is hereby appropriated to the board from the Acupuncture Fund.

4934.2.

The board shall conduct the following studies and reviews, and shall report its findings and recommendations to the department and the Joint Committee on Boards, Commissions, and Consumer Protection no later that September 1, 2004:

  1. The board shall conduct a comprehensive study of the use of unlicensed acupuncture assistants and the need to license and regulate those assistants.
  2. The board shall study and recommend ways to improve the frequency and consistency of their auditing and the quality and relevance of their courses.

Acupuncture Licensure Act - Section 4935-4949

California Acupuncture Laws

CALIFORNIA BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE: SECTION 4935-4949 4935. It is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) and not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment, for any person who does not hold a current and valid license to practice acupuncture under this chapter or to hold himself or herself out as practicing or engaging in the practice of acupuncture. It is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred...

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Acupuncture Licensure Act - Section 4955-4964

California Acupuncture Laws

CALIFORNIA BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE: SECTION 4955-4964 4955. The board may deny, suspend, or revoke, or impose probationary conditions upon, the license of any acupuncturist if he or she is guilty of unprofessional conduct. Unprofessional conduct shall include, but not be limited to, the following: Using or possessing any controlled substance as defined in Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code, or dangerous drug or alcoholic beverage to an extent or in a manner dangerous to himself or herself, or to any other person, or to the public, and to an extent that the use...

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Acupuncture Licensure Act - Section 4965-4969

California Acupuncture Laws

CALIFORNIA BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE: SECTION 4965-4969 4965. Licenses issued pursuant to this chapter shall expire on the last day of the birth month of the licensee during the second year of a two-year term, if not renewed. The board shall establish and administer a birth date renewal program. To renew an unexpired license, the holder shall apply for renewal on a form provided by the board and pay the renewal fee fixed by the board....

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Acupuncture Licensure Act - Section 4970-4974

California Acupuncture Laws

CALIFORNIA BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE: SECTION 4970-4974 4970. The amount of fees prescribed for licensed acupuncturists shall be those set forth in this section unless a lower fee is fixed by the board in accordance with Section 4972: The application fee shall be seventy-five dollars ($75). The examination and reexamination fees shall be the actual cost to the Acupuncture Board for the development and writing of, grading, and administering of each examination. The initial license fee shall be three hundred twenty-five dollars ($325), except that if the license will expire less than one year after its issuance, then the initial...

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Acupuncture Licensure Act - Section 4975-4979

California Acupuncture Laws

CALIFORNIA BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE: SECTION 4975-4979 4975. An acupuncture corporation is a corporation which is authorized to render professional services, as defined in Section 13401 of the Corporations Code, so long as that corporation and its shareholders, officers, directors, and employees rendering professional services who are acupuncturists are in compliance with the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act, this article and all other statutes and regulations now or hereafter enacted or adopted pertaining to that corporation and the conduct of its affairs. With respect to an acupuncture corporation, the governmental agency referred to in the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act is the...

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