Small News/Politics Graphic A New Acupuncture Law in Florida
by Danny Quaranto, President Emeritus, FSOMA

We did it - almost. Special thanks to Celestino Lopez for his awesome work on getting the bill sponsored and passed. He made several trirps to Tallahassee at his own expense to lobby the appropriate people to make that bill happen. President Richard Browne is to be thanked also for his perseverance and drive to make things happen. Thank you also to Jim Bernat for being the watchdog and keeping us posted on every new development. And most of all thanks to the lobbyist without whom none of this would have happened. However, even though we got the bill passed with some very important features, it was really only a step along the course. We needed to increase the educational standards before we could ask for anything which would change any insurance laws to make acupuncture more available for the citizens of Florida. We are headed that way, but his was a necessary baby step.

Features of the bill:

We will now hold licenses instead of certificates and will be called licencees instead of certificateholders. The definition of "acupuncture" remains unchanged.

We had asked to increase the board of acupuncture from 5 members to 7 members. That did not happen.

In order to become licensed a person needs to be 18 years old and must have completed 60 college credits from an accredited postsecondary institution as a prerequisite to enrollment in an authorized 3-year course of study in acupuncture, and has completed a 3-year course of study inacupuncture.

Effective July 31, 2001, a 4-year course of study in acupuncture, which meets standards established by the board rule, which standards include successful completion of academic courses in western anatomy, western physiology, western pathology, and western biomedical terminology. However, any person who enrolled in an authorized course of study in acupuncture before August 1 1997, must have completed only a 2-year course of study (as per present law).

The tutorial route to licensure has been deleted.
Licensure via 5 years experience is deleted.

Examination fees are decreased from $1,000 to $500.
Re-examination fee is reduced from $1,000 to $500.
Application fee is reduced from $750 to $300.
Initial biennial licensure is $400 if licensed in the first half of the biennium, and $200 if licensed in the seconnd half of the biennium. It was $2,000 before.
Biennial license renewal fees are capped at $700, down from $1,000.

Specific reference to the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists (NCCA) has been deleted in favor of an exam approved by the board.

Beginning October 1, 1997, all acupuncture needles that are used on a patient must be sterile and disposable, and each needle may be used only once.

Added as exempted from our practice act are medical assistants, which was changed from physician's trained assistants in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 457 (MD practice act).

That's it folks. It wasn't everything we wanted, but that's politics. We are known in Tallahassee now and we will be back. The Board of Acupunture now has the task of defining the curriculum for the schools. If you would like to have any input, show up at the next FSOMA meeting in Gainsville on May 31, Saturday. Call the FSOMA office at (305) 595-9500 for details.


Yin/Yang Symbol Acupuncture.com

Contacting Acupuncture.com...