2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-04321HB0269
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0269
Naturopathic medicine licensure.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) McCann, Angelos, Brady,
Guggenmos and Lucas and Senator(s) Cooper
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to professions and occupations; amending
2 the Wyoming acupuncture practice act to include
3 naturopathic medicine; amending the powers of the Wyoming
4 board of acupuncture; regulating the practice of
5 naturopathic medicine; providing penalties; requiring
6 rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.
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10. W.S. 33-49-101, 33-49-102(a)(v), (vi) and
11 by creating new paragraphs (x) through (xv), 33-49-103(a)
12 and (b), 33-49-104, 33-49-106(a)(ii) by creating new
13 subparagraphs (D), (E) and (c), 33-49-107(b)(intro), (i),
14 (c)(intro), by creating new subsections (d) through (f) and
15 by amending and renumbering (e) as (g), 33-49-108 by 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-04322HB0269
1 creating new subsections (b) and (c) and by amending and
2 renumbering (b) and (c) as (d) and (e),
3 33-49-109(a)(intro), (i), (iii) and by creating new
4 paragraphs (v) through (ix), 33-49-111(a)(intro), (i),
5 (iii), (v), (b) and (c) and 33-49-112(b) and (d) are
6 amended to read:
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8 CHAPTER 49
9 ACUPUNCTURE PRACTICE AND NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE ACT
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13 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the
14 "Wyoming Acupuncture Practice
15 Act".
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19 (a) As used in this chapter:
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21 (v) "Board" means the Wyoming board of
22 acupuncture created under this
23 chapter; 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-04323HB0269
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2 (vi) "License " means a
3 license to practice acupuncture in this state issued by the
4 board pursuant to this chapter and consistent with the
5 scope of practice a person is qualified to perform as a
6 result of their NCCAOM diplomate status, post graduate
7 training, NADA certificate of training completion or as
8 otherwise authorized by the board;
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4 (a) The Wyoming board of acupuncture
5 is created to implement and administer the
6 provisions of this chapter. The board shall consist of
7 members who are legal residents of Wyoming.
8 The board shall consist of
9 of the public,
10 NCCAOM certified,
11 been engaged in the practice of acupuncture
12 for a period of not less than five (5) years immediately
13 preceding appointment to the initial board
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16 and one (1) member who
17 is a health care professional licensed pursuant to this
18 title other than this chapter.
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20 (b) The governor shall appoint the members of the
21 board. Of the initial members appointed to the board, two
22 members
23 shall be appointed for a term of two (2) years and three 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-04326HB0269
1 (3) members shall be appointed for a term of four (4)
2 years.
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5 Thereafter, the terms of office shall be four (4)
6 years. Each member shall serve until the member's successor
7 is appointed and qualified. No member shall serve more than
8 two (2) consecutive full terms.
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12 The board shall meet at least once each year and elect a
13 chairman at the first meeting each year. The board may
14 convene at the request of the chairman or as determined by
15 the board for any other meeting as may be deemed necessary
16 to transact its business. Meetings may be carried out via
17 telecommunications. board members shall
18 constitute a quorum.
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22 (a) The board shall:
23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-04327HB02691 (ii) Determine the following standards for
2 licensees:
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8 (c) All fees collected by the board shall be
9 deposited by the state treasurer to the credit of the
10 Wyoming board of acupuncture
11 account. Disbursements from the account shall not exceed
12 the monies credited to it. The account shall be used by the
13 board to defray costs incurred in the administration of
14 this chapter.
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19 (b) Any license
20 issued under this chapter shall:
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22 (i) Be issued in the name of the licensed
23 acupuncturist ; 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-04328HB0269
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2 (c) The following persons are exempt from this
3 chapter's
4 requirements:
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12 (g) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to
13 prohibit or restrict any other licensed health care
14 provider in this state from practicing acupuncture within
15 their statutory scope of practice. However, no person may
16 represent themselves as an acupuncturist in any manner
17 unless licensed in accordance with
18 this chapter.
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20 (d) Licenses
21 shall be renewed or reinstated
22 according to a schedule established by the board pursuant
23 to this chapter. If a licensee fails to renew a license 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-043214HB0269
1 pursuant to
2 the schedule established by the board, the license shall
3 expire and the licensee shall not practice acupuncture
4 in this state.
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6 (e) An applicant for licensure or licensee shall
7 report any pending or final administrative or disciplinary
8 actions, or other judgments, as well as the terms of any
9 settlement or other disposition of an action or judgment,
10 against the applicant or licensee involving malpractice or
11 improper practice of acupuncture ,
12 whether occurring in Wyoming or in any other jurisdiction
13 upon application for licensure, renewal or reinstatement,
14 or not later than thirty (30) days after the licensee
15 becomes aware of such actions or judgments.
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19 (a) The board may issue a license by endorsement to
20 practice acupuncture in Wyoming to
21 an applicant who is licensed to practice acupuncture
22 in another state subject to the
23 following: 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-043215HB0269
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2 (i) The other state shall have substantially
3 equivalent acupuncture licensure
4 requirements as Wyoming, including similar licensure by
5 endorsement provisions for licensees of this state;
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7 (iii) The applicant shall not have had a license
8 to practice acupuncture suspended
9 or revoked in this state or any other; and
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15 (a) After any hearing conducted pursuant to W.S.
16 33-49-110, the board may approve, deny, suspend, revoke or
17 refuse to renew a license
18 or impose probationary conditions on
19 the license if the licensee or applicant has engaged in
20 unprofessional conduct. For purposes of this section,
21 unprofessional conduct includes any of the following:
22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-043217HB02691 (i) Obtaining a license
2 by means of fraud,
3 misrepresentation or concealment of material facts;
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5 (iii) Being convicted of a felony that relates
6 to the practice of acupuncture or
7 to the ability to practice acupuncture
8;
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10 (v) Being negligent in the practice of
11 acupuncture or naturopathic medicine;
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13 (b) An application for reinstatement may be made to
14 the board not earlier than one (1) year after the date of
15 the revocation of the license
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17 application for reinstatement and may hold a hearing to
18 consider reinstatement. An applicant for reinstatement
19 aggrieved by any final action of the board may appeal to
20 the district court pursuant to the Wyoming Administrative
21 Procedure Act.
22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-043218HB02691 (c) Upon receipt from the department of family
2 services of a certified copy of an order from a court to
3 withhold, suspend or otherwise restrict a license
4 issued by the
5 board, the board shall notify the party named in the court
6 order of the withholding, suspension or restriction of the
7 license in accordance with the terms of the court order. No
8 appeal under the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act shall
9 be allowed for a license withheld, suspended or restricted
10 under this subsection.
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14 (b) The attorney general, the board, any county or
15 district attorney or any citizen may obtain an injunction
16 in the name of the state of Wyoming upon the relation of a
17 complainant enjoining any person from engaging in the
18 practice of acupuncture without a
19 license. The district court of the district in which the
20 offending person resides or the district court of Laramie
21 county has original jurisdiction of any such injunction
22 proceedings. An injunction may be issued without proof of
23 actual damage sustained and upon proof of one (1) or more 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-043219HB0269
1 acts constituting the practice of acupuncture
2 without a license. The standard of
3 proof of any violation of this subsection shall be by a
4 preponderance of the evidence.
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6 (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
7 chapter, the Wyoming Acupuncture Practice
8 Act shall not apply to persons licensed under
9 title 33, chapter 25 or chapter 26 of the Wyoming statutes.
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11The Wyoming board of acupuncture and
12 naturopathic medicine shall promulgate all rules necessary
13 to implement this act.
14 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-043220HB02691.
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3 (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this
4 section, this act is effective July 1, 2025.
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6 (b) Sections 2 and 3 of this act are effective
7 immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a
8 bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of
9 the Wyoming Constitution.
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11 (END)