STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1543

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1076

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 1076 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE USE OF THE DOCTOR OF ACUPUNCTURE TITLE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to amend the requirements for use of the title doctor of acupuncture.

 

     Specifically, to use the title doctor of acupuncture, this measure requires:

 

(1)  For a licensee with a doctoral degree in acupuncture from an institute, school, or college in or under the jurisdiction of the United States, that the institute, school, or college be accredited by a body recognized by the United States Department of Education; and

 

(2)  For a licensee with a doctoral degree in acupuncture from an institute, school, or college in a foreign country, that:

 

(A)  The licensee have the licensee's transcripts and curriculum professionally evaluated, at the licensee's expense, to determine whether the transcripts and curriculum are at least equivalent to the United States recognized doctoral program; and

 

(B)  The foreign institute, school, or college is licensed, approved, or accredited by a governmental authority or agency recognized by the foreign government, whose curriculum is approved by the Board of Acupuncture. 

 

This measure also repeals the Board of Acupuncture's authority to approve advanced acupuncture programs, as an alternative to earning a doctoral degree from an accredited university or college, to qualify licensees for use of the doctor of acupuncture title.

 

     The Board of Acupuncture submitted testimony in support of this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that in 2002, the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, a national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education for acupuncture and Oriental medicine programs, approved a doctoral program of study.  Your Committee believes that it is appropriate for the Board Acupuncture to defer to and rely upon the Accreditation Commission regarding accreditation of doctoral programs in acupuncture because of the commission's resources and expertise.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1076 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair