GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

H	3 

HOUSE BILL 996*
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/23/99
Third Edition Engrossed 4/27/99

Short Title:  Regulate Spinal Manipulation.	(Public)

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors:

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  

─────────────────────────────────────── 

April 13, 1999

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO REQUIRE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS PERFORMING SPINAL MANIPULATION TO ATTAIN MINIMUM HOURS OF CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND SUPERVISED CLINICAL TRAINING.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article to read:
"ARTICLE 8A.
"Spinal Manipulation.
"§ 90-157.10.  Definitions.
The following definitions apply in this Article:
(1)	Health care provider. – Any person holding a license issued under this Chapter, except a physician licensed under Article 1 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes, a doctor of osteopathy licensed under Article 7 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes, or a physical therapist licensed under Article 18B of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes.
(2)	Spinal manipulation or spinal adjustment. – A method of skillful treatment whereby a health care provider uses directed, brief, and sudden impulsion or leverage to move a joint of the patient's spine beyond its normal passive range of motion but without exceeding the limits of anatomical integrity.  The term does not include the orthopaedic reduction of fractures and dislocations or joint mobilization in which no sudden impulsion or leverage is used and the patient's joint is not moved beyond its normal passive range of motion.
"§ 90-157.11. Instruction and training required to perform spinal manipulation.
No health care provider shall perform a spinal manipulation or adjustment or permit, direct, or authorize any person under the provider's direct supervision to perform a spinal manipulation or adjustment unless he or she has received a minimum of 500 hours of classroom instruction in spinal manipulation or spinal adjustment and a minimum of 700 hours of supervised clinical training in spinal manipulation or adjustment from an accredited university, medical school, or chiropractic college.
"§ 90-157.12.  Sanctions.
Violation of G.S. 90-157.11 shall be grounds for the offending health care provider's licensing board to suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew the health care provider's license or to take any other disciplinary action authorized by law."
Section 2. This act shall become effective January 1, 2000.