Healing arts: California traditional Chinese medicine traumatologist certification.

Existing law establishes various boards that license and regulate healing arts practitioners, including physicians and surgeons, chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists. Existing law provides for the voluntary certification of certain practitioners, including the voluntary certification of massage therapists by the California Massage Therapy Council, a nonprofit organization. Existing law prescribes specified educational and other requirements for an applicant to obtain a massage therapy certificate. This bill would establish the California Traditional Chinese Medicine Traumatology Council as a nonprofit organization to provide for the development of standards for and certification of the practice of California traditional Chinese medicine traumatologists, as defined. The bill would require the council to issue a certificate to practice as a California traditional Chinese medicine traumatologist to an applicant who meets certain training and clinical experience requirements, passes a written examination, and pays a fee. The bill would require the council to develop, and report to the Legislature by January 1, 2016, its standards for approving education programs; evaluating the education, training, and clinical experience of applicants; the written examination; and a continuing education program. The bill would make the meetings and deliberations of the council subject to the open meeting requirements and public hearing requirements that apply to state bodies. This bill would prohibit treatment that constitutes the practice of medicine or chiropractic procedures, as defined. This bill would also make it an unfair business practice to use the title of "California certified traditional Chinese medicine traumatologist" without meeting these certification requirements and would specify the circumstances and methods for disciplining a certificate holder.