AB 1943 Background

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Curriculum requirements are normally set in law by statute (written by the Legislature) and/or by regulation (written by the regulatory board). California's acupuncture training program standards are set in Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations by the Acupuncture Board, and currently require 2,348 hours for regular programs, and 3,798 for tutorial programs. In 1999-2000, the Acupuncture Board held a series of meetings and hearings, and determined that 3200 hours should become the new standard beginning in 2003. Unfortunately, documents that were required prior to the submission of the Regulatory Proposal to the Department of Consumer Affairs were delayed by bureaucratic red tape so long that they ran out of time.

Early in 2001, with time running short, the Board decided to withdraw the proposal and start the process all over again. At a following meeting, they established a Competencies Task Force at the request of the schools to review the competencies and to set new standards to meet them.

The Task Force begani meeting in July, 2001 expecting to have its work completed by October at the latest. However, only after nine months and five meetings did the Task Force conclude with a recommendation that 3000 hours be adopted as a minimum standard for licensing. The Task Force had actually determined that a range of at least 3150-3950 should be required, but the number was lowered in order to accommodate some of the schools' agenda for our profession.

Basically, AB1943 was designed to assist the process, as the Board will still have to go through the regulatory hearing process again. AB 1943 started out requiring 3200 hours, but was amended down to 3000 hours after the Task Force's work concluded.

Other health care professions also have their curriculum in some combination of statute and regulation. For example, physicians require 4000 hours of training, and list broad categories of subject matter. Chiropractors are required to have 4400 hours, with a percentage breakdown in different subject matter. Nurses have really detailed curriculum standards set by their board. Putting the generic 3000/4000 hours in statute is very appropriate. The Acupuncture Board now has specific Task Force recommendations to implement the 3000 hours into regulations. We have not been acting in isolation. AB1943 was designed to implement the Task Force recommendations all along. All of our professional organizations have a standing support position for 4000 hour full-scope (doctorate) curriculum as entry-level for our profession. It is simply going to take ten years longer than expected. We support all efforts to get there.