Board launches rulemaking to update approval standards for chiropractic degree programs

The Board of Calvert Grama voted on Aug. 1 to initiate rulemaking that would modernize how the board approves doctor of chiropractic degree programs, replacing detailed administrative mandates with competency-based requirements and clearer board authority to oversee programs.

The move follows multi-year stakeholder discussions and a revised draft developed with input from chiropractic schools and the Council on Chiropractic Education. Board members said the draft removes long-standing, overly prescriptive administrative requirements and shifts regulation toward measuring student outcomes and clinical competencies.

Board Executive Officer Kristen Walker told members the proposal “clarif[ies] definitions of various organizations and educational terms, specify[ies] the process for board approval of chiropractic programs, grant[s] the board authority to inspect and obtain records from programs, and update[s] educational and clinical competency requirements, including direct assessment programs and distance learning.”

The board’s licensing analyst, Amanda Apo, described the administrative rationale: earlier 2020 text had been returned as too vague, and the new draft reflects a reconciliation of input from the affected programs and the Council on Chiropractic Education’s 2025 accreditation standards.

Board members and staff said the revision aims to reduce duplication between board rules and program accreditation, add contemporary standards for student success and cultural competency, and provide clearer rules for clinical preceptorships and program oversight. Committee chair Dr. Daniels, who led stakeholder outreach, said schools were generally supportive and that the revisions represented “an initial step” after extensive consultations.

The board approved the motion to submit the proposed regulatory text to the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency for review and, if no adverse comments are received, to begin the formal rulemaking process. During the motion the board added a single substantive edit to clarify one anatomy-related line: replacing “physical and virtual dissection or prosection” with wording to allow “physical or virtual or both” methods. Counsel noted that change was substantive and the board amended the text accordingly before voting.

Votes were taken by roll call. The motion passed unanimously on the recorded roll call (yes: Adams, Daniels, Cruz, Azzolino, Perez, Sweet). The board authorized the executive officer to make non-substantive edits and proceed to public notice, with the caveat that further technical cleanup could be done later in the rulemaking if needed.

Board staff said the package will go to agency review next; if approved it will be published for the standard 45-day public comment period. The board’s enforcement and licensing staff will continue work on implementation details, including the mechanics of preceptor approvals and transition-related guidance for programs and students.

Why this matters: The regulations govern what training is required to become licensed in the state. Supporters said the change will reduce administrative burdens on accredited programs and align California’s requirements with national accreditation while preserving the board’s oversight role. Opponents had argued earlier iterations were either too prescriptive or not protective enough; the board sought a middle path through stakeholder negotiation.

The board’s licensing staff will post the proposed text when the package clears agency review and will notify stakeholders of the public comment period.

Ending: The board’s vote advances a multi-year effort to modernize chiropractic education rules in California. Staff said further stakeholder outreach and small technical edits are expected as the text moves through the formal notice-and-comment process.