Bill Text: TX SB1084 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to regulations on certain complementary and alternative health care services.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-04-26 - Left pending in committee [SB1084 Detail]

Download: Texas-2011-SB1084-Introduced.html
  82R9045 SLB-F
 
  By: Wentworth S.B. No. 1084
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to regulations on certain complementary and alternative
  health care services.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle M, Title 3, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Chapter 704 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 704.  COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES
  SUBCHAPTER A.  GENERAL PROVISIONS
         Sec. 704.001.  COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE
  SERVICES. (a) In this chapter, "complementary and alternative
  health care services" means the broad domain of complementary and
  alternative healing methods, healing therapies, treatments, and
  services that:
               (1)  are provided by persons who are not licensed,
  certified, or registered as health care practitioners or
  professionals by an occupational regulatory agency of this state;
  and
               (2)  are not prohibited by Section 704.051.
         (b)  Complementary and alternative health care services
  include:
               (1)  acupressure;
               (2)  anthroposophy;
               (3)  aromatherapy;
               (4)  Ayurveda;
               (5)  cranial sacral therapy;
               (6)  culturally traditional healing practices;
               (7)  detoxification practices and therapies;
               (8)  energetic healing;
               (9)  polarity therapy;
               (10)  folk practices;
               (11)  healing practices using food, food supplements,
  nutrients, and the physical forces of heat, cold, water, touch, and
  light;
               (12)  Gerson therapy;
               (13)  colostrum therapy;
               (14)  healing touch;
               (15)  herbology or herbalism;
               (16)  homeopathy;
               (17)  nondiagnostic iridology;
               (18)  bodywork;
               (19)  meditation;
               (20)  mind-body healing practices;
               (21)  naturopathy;
               (22)  noninvasive instrumentalities; and
               (23)  traditional Oriental practices, such as qigong
  energy healing.
         Sec. 704.002.  GENERAL APPLICABILITY.  (a)  This chapter
  applies to a person who provides a complementary and alternative
  health care service.
         (b)  This chapter does not:
               (1)  limit the right of a person to obtain a civil
  remedy, including a remedy for negligence, against a person who
  provides a complementary and alternative health care service; or
               (2)  control, prevent, or restrict a person from
  marketing or distributing a lawful food product, including a
  dietary supplement.
         Sec. 704.003.  APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAW.  Notwithstanding
  any other law, a person who provides complementary and alternative
  health care services in compliance with Sections 704.051 and
  704.052 is not practicing medicine under Subtitle B and does not
  violate Subtitle B or another law of this state that requires a
  person to obtain an occupational license, registration, or
  certificate.
  [Sections 704.004-704.050 reserved for expansion]
  SUBCHAPTER B.  REGULATION OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE HEALTH
  CARE SERVICES
         Sec. 704.051.  PROHIBITED ACTS.  A person may not in
  connection with providing a complementary and alternative health
  care service:
               (1)  conduct surgery or any other procedure that
  punctures the skin or that harmfully invades the body, other than
  pricking a finger to obtain a small amount of blood for screening
  purposes;
               (2)  administer to or prescribe for another person
  x-ray radiation;
               (3)  administer to or prescribe for another person
  legend drugs, dangerous drugs, or controlled substances;
               (4)  recommend that a person discontinue medical care
  or a medical treatment prescribed by a licensed health care
  practitioner;
               (5)  provide a conventional medical disease diagnosis;
               (6)  perform a chiropractic adjustment of an
  articulation of the spine; or
               (7)  represent, state, indicate, advertise, or imply
  that the person is a physician, surgeon, or medical doctor or that
  the person is licensed, certified, or registered by this state to
  practice a health care profession.
         Sec. 704.052.  REQUIRED DISCLOSURE.  (a)  Before providing a
  complementary and alternative health care service, a person must:
               (1)  provide to the client a written statement in plain
  language:
                     (A)  stating that the person is not licensed by
  this state as a health care or healing arts practitioner;
                     (B)  describing the nature of the services to be
  provided and the theory of treatment on which the services are
  based;
                     (C)  detailing the education, training,
  experience, or other qualifications of the person with regard to
  the service being provided and stating whether any degree disclosed
  by the person is recognized by this state; and
                     (D)  containing the following statement in bold
  print:
  "THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS NOT ADOPTED ANY EDUCATIONAL OR
  TRAINING STANDARDS FOR UNLICENSED COMPLEMENTARY AND
  ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS. THIS
  DISCLOSURE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
  Under Texas law, an unlicensed complementary and
  alternative health care practitioner may not provide a
  medical diagnosis or recommend that a person
  discontinue a medically prescribed treatment. A client
  may seek at any time a diagnosis from a licensed
  physician, chiropractor, or acupuncture practitioner
  or a service from a physician, chiropractor, dentist,
  nurse, osteopath, physical therapist, occupational
  therapist, massage therapist, dietitian, midwife,
  acupuncture practitioner, athletic trainer, or any
  other type of licensed health care practitioner.";
               (2)  obtain a signed acknowledgment from the client
  that the client has been provided a copy of the statement required
  by Subdivision (1); and
               (3)  provide a copy of the statement and signed
  acknowledgment to the client.
         (b)  The complementary and alternative health care service
  provider shall retain a copy of the signed acknowledgment under
  Subsection (a)(2) until the second anniversary of the date the
  statement is signed.
         Sec. 704.053.  REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION.  It is a rebuttable
  presumption that a person who provides the statement required by
  Section 704.052(a)(1) is not practicing medicine under Subtitle B.
         Sec. 704.054.  DEFENSE.  It is a defense to prosecution
  under Section 32.52, Penal Code, that the person:
               (1)  disclosed information to a client about a degree
  lawfully obtained by the person from a school inside or outside the
  United States; and
               (2)  stated whether the degree is recognized by this
  state as required by Section 704.052(a)(1)(C).
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
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