GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

S	1 

SENATE BILL 678

Short Title:  Regulate Spinal Manipulation.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Senator Odom.

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Referred to:  Health Care.

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April 1, 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)	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.
(2)	Health care provider. – A person holding a license issued under this Chapter.
"§ 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 adjustment and a minimum of 700 hours of supervised clinical training at a facility where spinal manipulation or adjustment is a primary method of treatment.
"§ 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 is effective when it becomes law.