Senate committee passes bill banning immediate post-crash outreach by chiropractors after heated testimony

The Senate Insurance & Commerce Committee on Monday passed House Bill 1405, a measure that imposes a 14-day ban on direct outreach by chiropractors or chiropractic “runners” to people involved in collisions or other catastrophes.

The bill’s sponsor in the Senate, Sen. Justin Boyd, said the 14-day cooling-off period is intended to protect people at their most vulnerable immediately after a crash. "I would be upset if someone showed up on my front porch ... telling my wife that, hey, you gotta get down to the company doctor right now," Boyd said during closing remarks.

Proponents, led at the hearing by Fort Smith attorney William Buckley, said the bill targets aggressive advertising and deceptive practices they said persist in parts of the state. Buckley told the committee that runners sometimes assure crash victims they will not be charged or that the runner can negotiate with an insurer, and that the bill will give…