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House passes chiropractic practice bill after prolonged debate on acupuncture training
Summary
After extended floor debate and multiple amendments, the House passed HB313 to revise the Chiropractic Physician Practice Act, including provisions governing when chiropractors may perform acupuncture and the training required. The final recorded vote was 46–19.
The Utah House completed lengthy floor action on House Bill 313 on Feb. 18, amending the Chiropractic Physician Practice Act to clarify definitions, identify chiropractic assistants, and address acupuncture as a service provided by chiropractors only with specified training and certification.
Sponsor Representative Haman described four core elements of the bill, including formal recognition of chiropractic assistants and conditions under which chiropractors may perform acupuncture following certified training and testing. Multiple members offered floor amendments — including proposals to strike chiropractic allowance for acupuncture, to require parity in training hours with licensed acupuncturists, and to set clear certification standards. Representative Hayman opposed striking acupuncture from the bill, asserting chiropractors had practiced acupuncture and should be able to continue with formalized training; others argued for stricter hours or for removing chiropractors from the acupuncture scope.
Substitute motions, divisions and numerous pink-sheet amendments were considered; Representative King and others proposed amendments to establish training-hour standards while Representative Barth and others proposed modifications affecting naturopathic scope and reciprocal practice references. After debate and amendment votes, the House passed the revised bill (46 yes, 19 no). The bill, as amended on the floor, requires training and certification criteria to be met for chiropractors to provide acupuncture services and moves implementation to division rulemaking and oversight.
The bill will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration with the House’s floor amendments attached. The transcript shows substantial concern among members for public health safeguards and for setting clear training standards.
