Assembly Bill 1113 authorizes an acupuncturist "to diagnose within his or her scope of practice" consistent with existing legal opinion and professional practice.

Authored by Assemblyman Dr. Leland Yee
Co-Authored by Assemblymembers Judy Chu and Paul Koretz, Senator Liz Figueroa
SPONSORED BY CAOMA

AB 1113 (Yee)
Assembly Bill 1113 authorizes an acupuncturist "to diagnose within his or her scope of practice" consistent with existing legal opinion and professional practice.
Introduced
February 22
By Assembly Member Leland Yee
Amended
April 14
CAOMA diagnosis definition adopted
Committee Vote
April 26
C PASSED Assembly Business and Professions (10-0)
Committee Vote
May 4
C PASSED Assembly Appropriations Committee (16-0)
Assembly Floor Vote
May 16
C PASSED Assembly Floor (62-11)
Amended
June 14
Conforms with AB 1117 language
Committee Vote
June 27
C PASSED Senate Business & Professions Committee (5-1)
Committee Vote
July 11
C PASSED Senate Appropriations Committee (9-1)
Senate Floor
August 25
C PASSED Senate (33-0)
Assembly Floor
August 30
C PASSED (74-1)   Assembly* - August 30
NOW
Sept 2
ON GOVERNOR'S DESK


* Note: Final Assembly vote is for concurrence (agreement) on the amendments made to the bill in the Senate.


AB 1113 will amend Section 4937 of the Business and Professions Code to read:
    To diagnose within his or her scope of practice.

Background:  From 1976-1979, acupuncturists were required to obtain a prior diagnosis or referral from a physician, chiropractor, dentist, or podiatrist, and to report treatment results back to the referring practitioner. In 1980, the prior diagnosis and referral requirement was eliminated, leaving acupuncturists to provide a diagnosis themselves, but without specifying that in statute. Legal opinions have confirmed this many times. With a twenty-five year safety record of diagnosing patients, there have been few problems; however, competitors and critics have recently escalated their attacks on acupuncturists' authority to diagnose, resulting in damage to both the reputation and the income potential for licensees. AB 1113 will correct this matter by placing the authority to diagnose explicitly in law , conforming with common standards of practice, and neither expanding or contracting existing scope of practice.

How to Support:
•   Call, write and fax a letter, and e-mail your position on AB 1113 to your elected legislators, stating your reasons. Keep your letter to one page only.
•   Join, participate, and contribute to CAOMA's Legislative Action Committee, and help us rally legislative support for this bill.

Sample Letter Supporting AB 1113

Link to AB 1113 - Official California Legislative Information website