Legislative Session number- 81

Bill Name: SF0689

E "Complementary and Alternative Health Care Freedom of Access Act"; regulating
complementary and alternative health care practitioners; defining certain terms
including complementary and alternative health care practices; creating the
office of unlicensed complementary and alternative health care practice in the
department of health to investigate complaints and take and enforce disciplinary
actions against unlicensed practitioners for violations of prohibited conduct,
to serve as a clearinghouse on complementary and alternative health care
practices and practitioners and to disseminate information to consumers,
requiring the commissioner of health to adopt rules; specifying certain
reporting obligations of the practitioners relating to the maltreatment of
minors, parents not to be relieved of the duty to seek necessary medical care
for children receiving complementary and alternative health care; imposing
certain reporting obligations on state agencies, local government units, private
agencies, hospitals, clinics, prepaid medical plans, other health care
institutions or organizations, professional societies, licensed health care
professionals, insurers and the courts relating to conduct constituting grounds
for disciplinary action and actions taken and providing for self reporting;
granting immunity from civil liability or criminal prosecution for reporters and
investigators; requiring courts reviewing disciplinary actions taken by the
commissioner to seal the portions of the administrative record containing data
on clients or complainants; requiring the cooperation of unlicensed
practitioners with investigations; classifying certain data; requiring the
office to establish internal operating procedures for exchanging information
with state boards and agencies, law enforcement personnel and other states and
for coordinating investigations; requiring the office to maintain and keep
current a file containing the reports and complaints filed against
practitioners; specifying certain prohibited conduct and certain procedures for
disciplinary action; providing for certain additional remedies, granting the
commissioner certain cease and desist order issuance authority and providing for
injunctive relief; establishing a complementary and alternative health care
client bill of rights; exempting unlicensed practitioners from regulation by the
board of medical practice; requiring the commissioner to report to the
legislature by a certain date on the number and types of complaints received
against unlicensed practitioners, the number of investigations conducted and the
number and types of enforcement actions completed (mk, ja)