Session of 2000
HOUSE BILL No. 2776
By Health Care Reform Legislative Oversight
Committee
2-1
9 AN ACT
concerning naturopathic physicians; relating to the licensing
10 and regulation
thereof; amending K.S.A. 65-2872 and repealing the
11 existing section; also
repealing K.S.A. 65-2872a.
12
13 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the
State of Kansas:
14 New Section
1. (a) The legislature of the state of Kansas finds that
15 a significant number of Kansas residents
choose naturopathic medicine
16 for their health care needs and declares
that naturopathic medicine is a
17 distinct health care profession that
affects the public health, safety and
18 welfare and provides for freedom of choice
in health care.
19 (b) The purpose
of this act is:
20 (1) To provide
standards for the licensing and regulation of naturo-
21 pathic physicians in order to protect the
public health, safety and welfare.
22 (2) To insure
that naturopathic medicine by qualified naturopathic
23 physicians is available to the people of
Kansas.
24 (3) To provide a
means of identifying qualified naturopathic
25 physicians.
26 New Sec.
2. As used in this act:
27 (a) "Board" means
the Kansas board of naturopathic medicine.
28 (b) "Homeopathic
preparations" means medicines prepared accord-
29 ing to the homeopathic pharmacopoeia of the
United States.
30 (c) "Minor office
procedures" means care incident to superficial lac-
31 erations and abrasions, and the removal of
foreign bodies located in su-
32 perficial structures, except the eyes.
"Minor office procedures" includes
33 the use of antiseptics in connection with
such procedures but shall not
34 include the alteration or removal of
tissue.
35 (d) "Naturopathic
physician" means a doctor of naturopathic medi-
36 cine who is licensed as a naturopathic
physician pursuant to this act.
37 (e) "Naturopathic
manipulative therapy" means the manually admin-
38 istered, mechanical treatment of body
structures or tissues, in accordance
39 with approved naturopathic medical school
principles, for the purpose of
40 restoring normal physiological function to
the body by normalizing and
41 balancing the musculoskeletal system of the
body.
42 (f) "Naturopathic
medicine" means a system of primary health care
43 practiced by doctors of naturopathic
medicine for the prevention, diag-
2
1 nosis and treatment of human health
conditions, injuries and diseases that
2 uses education, natural medicines and
therapies to support and stimulate
3 the individual's intrinsic
self-healing processes.
4
(g) "Naturopathic physical medicine" means the therapeutic use
of
5 the physical agents of air, water,
heat, cold, sound, light and electromag-
6 netic non-ionizing radiation and the
physical modalities of electrotherapy,
7 diathermy, ultraviolet light,
ultrasound, hydrotherapy, naturopathic ma-
8 nipulative therapy and therapeutic
exercise.
9 New Sec.
3. (a) No person shall represent oneself as a licensed na-
10 turopathic physician or use such title as
N.D., naturopathic medical doc-
11 tor, naturopathic doctor or naturopathic
physician unless licensed as pro-
12 vided by this act.
13 (b) No person
shall practice or represent oneself as practicing natur-
14 opathic medicine unless licensed pursuant
to this act.
15 (c) Licensed
naturopathic physicians:
16 (1) May use the
title "naturopathic physician," "doctor of naturo-
17 pathic medicine," "naturopathic medical
doctor," the abbreviation
18 "N.D.," "N.M.D." and "N.P."; and
19 (2) shall have
the exclusive right to use the terms "doctor of naturo-
20 pathic medicine," "naturopathic physician,"
"naturopathic medical doc-
21 tor," "naturopathic medical care," "N.D.,"
"N.M.D." and "N.P."
22 New Sec.
4. Naturopathic physicians may:
23 (a) Use for
preventive and therapeutic purposes the following natural
24 medicines and therapies: Food, food
extracts, vitamins, minerals, en-
25 zymes, digestive aids, whole gland thyroid,
plant substances, all homeo-
26 pathic preparations, topical medicines,
counseling, hypnotherapy, bio-
27 feedback, dietary therapy, naturopathic
physical medicine, therapeutic
28 devices and barrier devices for
contraception.
29 (b) Use for
diagnostic purposes physical and orifical examinations,
30 ultrasound, phlebotomy, clinical laboratory
tests and examinations and
31 physiological function tests.
32 (c) Order the
taking of and reading of x-ray tests and
33 electrocardiograms.
34 (d) Prescribe
nonprescription medications and therapeutic devices
35 and use noninvasive diagnostic procedures
used by practitioners of the
36 healing arts.
37 (e) Prescribe,
dispense and administer intramuscularly or intrave-
38 nously any vitamins, minerals, botanicals
and glandulars.
39 (f) Practice
obstetrics as taught in approved naturopathic medical col-
40 leges in accordance with federal standards
established by the council on
41 naturopathic medicine.
42 New Sec.
5. Naturopathic physicians shall not:
43 (a) Prescribe,
dispense or administer any prescription drugs or con-
3
1 trolled substances, except those
natural medicines as authorized by this
2 act.
3 (b) Perform
the taking of x-ray tests or electrocardiograms.
4 (c) Perform
surgical procedures.
5
(d) Practice emergency medicine, except as a good samaritan
ren-
6 dering gratuitous services in the
case of emergency and except for the
7 care of minor injuries.
8
(e) Practice or claim to practice allopathic medicine,
surgery, oste-
9 opathy, dentistry, podiatry,
optometry, chiropractic, physical therapy or
10 any other system or method of treatment not
authorized by this act.
11 New Sec.
6. Nothing in this act shall be construed to prohibit or
12 restrict:
13 (a) The practice
of a profession by individuals who are licensed, cer-
14 tified or registered under other laws of
this state who are performing
15 services within their authorized scope of
practice.
16 (b) The practice
of naturopathic medicine by an individual employed
17 by the government of the United States
while the individual is engaged
18 in the performance of duties prescribed by
the laws and regulations of
19 the United States.
20 (c) The practice
by a doctor of naturopathic medicine duly registered
21 or licensed in another state, territory, or
the district of Columbia when
22 incidentally called into this state for
consultation with a person licensed
23 to practice medicine and surgery.
24 (d) The practice
of naturopathic medicine by students enrolled in an
25 approved naturopathic medical college. The
performance of services shall
26 be pursuant to a course of instruction or
assignments from an instructor
27 and under the supervision of the
instructor. The instructor shall be a
28 licensed naturopathic physician.
29 (e) The treatment
of the sick or suffering by spiritual means through
30 prayer alone in accordance with the tenets
and practices of an established
31 church or religious denomination.
32 (f) Persons
gratuitously administering ordinary nutritional or house-
33 hold remedies.
34 (g) A
chiropractor licensed under the healing arts act.
35 New Sec.
7. Naturopathic physicians shall have the same authority
36 and responsibility as other practitioners
of the healing arts regarding pub-
37 lic health laws, reportable diseases and
conditions, communicable disease
38 control and prevention, recording of vital
statistics, health and physical
39 examinations, and local boards of health,
except that such authority shall
40 be limited to activity consistent with the
scope of practice authorized by
41 this act.
42 New Sec.
8. The board shall:
43 (a) Establish
fees for annual licensing of naturopathic physicians and
4
1 for the renewal of such licensing. An
initial licensure fee shall be estab-
2 lished by rules and regulations and
shall not exceed $1,000. An annual
3 license renewal fee shall be
established by rules and regulations and shall
4 not exceed $300.
5
(b) Maintain a roster of all licensed naturopathic physicians
under
6 this act which indicates:
7 (1) The
name of the licensee.
8 (2) Current
professional office address.
9 (3) The
date of issuance and the license number.
10 (4) Whether the
licensee is in good standing.
11 (c) Keep all
applications for licensure as a permanent record.
12 (d) Compile and
publish annually a directory of all licensed naturo-
13 pathic physicians in Kansas.
14 (e) Prepare and
keep up to date a list of universities, colleges or
15 schools accredited by the national council
on naturopathic medicine, but
16 no university, school or college shall be
approved by the board without
17 the formal action of the board.
18 (f) Require proof
of completion of at least 20 hours of continuing
19 education each year prior to approving any
application for renewal of the
20 license. The board shall approve only those
continuing education courses
21 which have been approved by the American
association of naturopathic
22 physicians (AANP) or the American Academy
of continuing medical
23 education.
24 New Sec.
9. The board shall issue a provisional license to
graduates
25 of approved naturopathic medical schools
until the provisional licensee
26 has completed one year of residential
training under a Kansas licensed
27 naturopathic physician or a Kansas licensed
medical doctor who has also
28 practiced naturopathic medicine for one
year or more.
29 New Sec.
10. The board shall issue a full naturopathic physician's
30 license to:
31 (a) Any
naturopathic physician who has graduated from an accredited
32 university, school or college of
naturopathic medicine approved by the
33 board.
34 (b) Any graduate
of an accredited naturopathic medical university,
35 school or college who practiced
naturopathic medicine in Kansas under
36 K.S.A. 65-2872a prior to January 1,
2001.
37 New Sec.
11. (a) The board shall be appointed as follows:
38 (1) Five members
shall be licensed naturopathic physicians or eligible
39 for licensure. Such members shall be
appointed to the board by the Kan-
40 sas association of naturopathic
physicians;
41 (2) one member
shall be of the general public, appointed by the gov-
42 ernor; and
43 (3) one member
shall be a medical doctor licensed under the board
5
1 of healing arts who has practiced
naturopathic medicine for one year or
2 more, appointed by the governor.
3 (b) Members
shall be appointed for three-year terms.
4 (c) The
Kansas board of naturopathic medicine shall:
5 (1) Adopt
rules and regulations concerning the practice of naturo-
6 pathic medicine.
7 (2) Make
recommendations regarding legislation.
8 (3) Prepare
application forms, license forms, protocol forms and
9 other necessary forms.
10 (4) Review
records and forms submitted by applicants.
11 (5) Distribute
information regarding naturopathic medicine practice
12 standards.
13 (6) Review
complaints.
14 (7) Establish
requirements for successful completion of a licensing
15 examination.
16 (8) Establish
procedure for license renewal.
17 (9) Establish
disciplinary procedures.
18 (10) Establish
continuing education requirements.
19 (11) Perform such
other duties as may be required by law.
20 Sec.
12. K.S.A. 65-2872 is hereby amended to read as follows:
65-
21 2872. The practice of the healing arts
shall not be construed to include
22 the following persons:
23 (a) Persons
rendering gratuitous services in the case of an emergency.
24 (b) Persons
gratuitously administering ordinary nutritional or
house-
25 hold remedies.
26 (c) The members
of any church practicing their religious tenets pro-
27 vided they shall not be exempt from
complying with all public health
28 regulations of the state.
29 (d) Students
while in actual classroom attendance in an accredited
30 healing arts school who after completing
one (1) year's study treat diseases
31 under the supervision of a licensed
instructor.
32 (e) Students upon
the completion of at least three (3) years study
in
33 an accredited healing arts school and who,
as a part of their academic
34 requirements for a degree, serve a
preceptorship not to exceed ninety
35 (90) 90 days under
the supervision of a licensed practitioner.
36 (f) Persons who
massage for the purpose of relaxation, muscle con-
37 ditioning, or figure improvement, provided
no drugs are used and such
38 persons do not hold themselves out to be
physicians or healers.
39 (g) Persons whose
professional services are performed under the su-
40 pervision or by order of or referral from a
practitioner who is licensed
41 under this act.
42 (h) Persons in
the general fields of psychology, education and social
43 work, dealing with the social,
psychological and moral well-being of in-
6
1 dividuals and/or groups provided they
do not use drugs and do not hold
2 themselves out to be the physicians,
surgeons, osteopathic physicians,
3 naturopathic physicians or
chiropractors.
4
(i) Practitioners of the healing arts in the United States
army, navy,
5 air force, public health service, and
coast guard or other military service
6 when acting in the line of duty in
this state.
7
(j) Practitioners of the healing arts licensed in another
state when and
8 while incidentally called into this
state in consultation with practitioners
9 licensed in this state, or residing
on the border of a neighboring state,
10 duly licensed under the laws thereof to
practice a branch of the healing
11 arts, but who do not open an office or
maintain or appoint a place to
12 regularly meet patients or to receive calls
within this state.
13 (k) Dentists
practicing their professions, when licensed and practic-
14 ing in accordance with the provisions of
article 14 of chapter 65 of the
15 Kansas Statutes Annotated, or amendments
thereto, and any interpreta-
16 tion thereof by the supreme court of this
state.
17 (l) Optometrists
practicing their professions, when licensed and prac-
18 ticing under and in accordance with the
provisions of article 15 of chapter
19 65 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, or
amendments thereto, and any
20 interpretation thereof by the supreme court
of this state.
21 (m) Nurses
practicing their profession when licensed and practicing
22 under and in accordance with the provisions
of article 11 of chapter 65
23 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, or
amendments thereto, and any in-
24 terpretation thereof by the supreme court
of this state.
25 (n) Podiatrists
practicing their profession, when licensed and practic-
26 ing under and in accordance with the
provisions of article 20 of chapter
27 65 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, or
amendments thereto, and any
28 interpretation thereof by the supreme court
of this state.
29 (o) Every act or
practice falling in the field of the healing art, not
30 specifically excepted herein, shall
constitute the practice thereof.
31 (p) Pharmacists
practicing their profession, when licensed and prac-
32 ticing under and in accordance with the
provisions of article 16 of chapter
33 65 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, or
amendments thereto, and any
34 interpretation thereof by the supreme court
of this state.
35 (q) A dentist
licensed in accordance with the provisions of article 14
36 of chapter 65 of the Kansas Statutes
Annotated who administers general
37 and local anesthetics to facilitate medical
procedures conducted by a per-
38 son licensed to practice medicine and
surgery if such dentist is certified
39 by the board of healing arts under K.S.A.
65-2899 to administer such
40 general and local anesthetics.
41 Sec. 13. K.S.A. 65-2872 and
65-2872a are hereby repealed.
42 Sec. 14. This act shall
take effect and be in force from and after its
43 publication in the statute book.