BILL NUMBER: AB 758INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Chau FEBRUARY 25, 2015 An act to amend Section 4927.5 of, and to add Section 4939.5 to, the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST 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 1. Section 4927.5 of the Business and Professions Code, as added by Section 2 of Chapter 397 of the Statutes of 2014, is amended to read: 4927.5. (a) For purposes of this chapter, "approved educational and training program" means a school or college offering education and training in the practice of an acupuncturist that meets all of the following requirements: (1) Offers curriculum that includes at least 3,000 hours of which at least 2,050 hours are didactic and laboratory training, and at least 950 hours are supervised clinical instruction. Has submitted that curriculum to the board, and has received board approval of the curriculum. (2) Has received full institutional approval under Article 6 (commencing with Section 94885) of Chapter 8 of Part 59 of Division 10 of Title 3 of the Education Code in the field of traditional Asian medicine, or in the case of institutions located outside of this state, approval by the appropriate governmental educational authority using standards equivalent to those of Article 6 (commencing with Section 94885) of Chapter 8 of Part 59 of Division 10 of Title 3 of the Education Code. (3) Meets any of the following: (A) Is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and OrientalMedicine.Medicine or another accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. (B) Has been granted candidacy status by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and OrientalMedicine.or another accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. (C) Has submitted a letter of intent to pursue accreditation to the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or another accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education within 30 days of receiving full institutional approval pursuant to paragraph (2), and is granted candidacy status within three years of the date that letter was submitted. (b) Within 30 days after receiving curriculum pursuant to paragraph (1), the board shall review the curriculum, determine whether the curriculum satisfies the requirements established by the board, and notify the school or college, the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, any other accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, and Bureau of Private and Postsecondary Education of whether the board has approved the curriculum. (c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2017. SEC. 2. Section 4939.5 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read: 4939.5. (a) The board shall 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. (b) The board shall 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.