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Committee approves State Board of Acupuncture rules despite objections over large fee increase
Summary
The committee approved Docket No. 24-1701-2501, a set of acupuncture licensure rules that includes large proposed fee increases; some senators objected to a 100–150% fee jump and preferred alternatives like title protection.
The Senate Health & Welfare Committee approved administrative rules for the State Board of Acupuncture after debate about whether the proposed fee increase — described in committee discussion as 100 to 150 percent — was justified.
John Price, Occupational Licenses Bureau Chief at DOPL, said he had presented the proposed rule changes at a prior meeting and stood for questions. Senator Blaylock recounted conversations with acupuncturists in South Dakota who said licensure enabled billing insurance and estimated a reasonable initial licensure fee might be about $500; she said no one wanted to see a 100 percent increase but that revenue was needed to maintain licensing operations.
Senator Lenney opposed the proposed fee increase, noting the Board had received only five complaints in three years and suggested title protection could be an alternative to full licensure. He moved to reject the docket; that motion, and other substitute or amended substitute motions addressing only the fee section, failed to gain enough support. The original motion to approve the docket ultimately passed by voice vote, with Senators Zuiderveld, Lenney, Shippy, and Keyser recorded as voting nay.
The minutes record both the anecdotal support from practitioners and the committee's concerns about the scale of the fee increases. The record does not show specific effective dates for fee changes or a detailed cost-benefit analysis in committee documents.
