Nevada Senate Bill 335 hit a dead end in the state Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, killing the bill for the current legislative session and preserving the state acupuncture board's authority and scope.
If S.B. 335 had progressed through the legislature and ultimately been signed into law, it would have eliminated several state entities, including the Nevada State Board of Oriental Medicine. In their place: an umbrella Division of Occupational Licensing within the Department of Business and Industry. The new division would have been accorded oversight over the profession similar to the OM board – but with scant AOM representation, rather than the broad representation the board currently enjoys.
S.B. 335 received widespread criticism from the AOM profession in Nevada and nationwide for its potential negative impact on acupuncture representation within the state, the first in the nation to achieve licensure for acupuncturists. In a statement provided to Acupuncture Today in the wake of the bill's failure to advance, the Nevada OM board noted:
"It is cause for concern when legislative bodies use medical boards as test cases for an umbrella occupational licensing division. By doing away with the Board and practicing OMDs as board members, SB 335 would have destroyed the Board's long established work of protecting public health and safety with effective laws and policies. The Board's position that Oriental Medicine must be included with all other primary health care providers and not be merged into such an agency that has little or no knowledge of this ancient medicine eventually helped to 'kill the bill.' Public health and welfare, as well as the integrity of licensed, professional practitioners, is at risk when legislation like this is introduced. Thank you to everyone who contacted legislators regarding this proposed legislation."
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