HB 1271 is a bill that aims to convert several boards and councils into advisory boards and make other amendments to implement these changes. The bill converts the board of acupuncture licensing, the board of family mediator certification, the guardian at litem board, the manufactured housing installations standards board, the midwifery council, the board of septic system evaluators, and the board of examiners of nursing home administrators into advisory boards. It also combines the advisory board of massage therapists with the advisory board of reflexology, structural integration, and Asian bodywork therapy. The bill eliminates the board of registration of medical technicians. The bill includes provisions for the responsibilities and composition of these advisory boards, as well as rulemaking authority and licensure requirements for acupuncture practitioners.

Additionally, the bill makes changes to the licensure requirements and scope of practice for acupuncture in New Hampshire. It replaces references to the "board" with "executive director" throughout the text, indicating a change in the entity responsible for overseeing acupuncture licensure. The bill allows health care professionals licensed under RSA 316-A who are practicing acupuncture as of July 1, 1997 to petition the executive director for an exemption to the licensure requirements. The executive director will consider their educational qualifications and clinical experience when making a decision. The bill also amends the requirements for becoming a certified acupuncture detoxification specialist, expands the scope of practice for acupuncture, and allows licensed acupuncturists to provide services through telemedicine.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 328-G:1, 328-G:2, 328-G:7, 328-G:9, 328-G:9-a, 328-G:10, 328-G:11, 328-G:6, 328-C:1, 328-C:2, 328-C:4, 328-C:5, 328-C:5-a, 328-C:8, 458:15-c, 461-A:1, 490-C:1, 490-C:2, 490-C:5, 490-C:5-a, 205-D:1, 205-D:2, 205-D:4, 205-D:5, 205-D:7, 205-D:9, 205-D:17, 328-B:1, 328-B:2, 328-B:5, 328-H:5, 326-D:1, 326-D:2, 326-D:3, 326-D:5, 326-D:6, 326-D:7, 310-A:202, 310-A:203, 310-A:204, 310-A:207, 310-A:209, 310-A:210, 310-A:211, 310-A:212, 310-A:213, 310-A:216, 310-A:219, 310-A:220, 151-A:1, 151-A:3, 151-A:4, 151-A:4-a, 151-A:5, 151-A:6, 151-A:6-a, 151-A:7, 328-I:4, 328-I:6, 328-I:7, 328-I:8, 328-I:9, 151:3-d