Physical examinations conducted by chiropractors; performance of medical examinations by chiropractors for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; chiropractic acupuncture and chiropractic dry needling; delegation of certain services by a chiropractor; modifying various administrative rules promulgated by the Chiropractic Examining Board; and granting rule-making authority. (FE)

Physical examinations If a school requires a pupil to have a physical examination as a condition of participating in a youth athletic activity or an extracurricular activity, the bill requires the school to accept a physical examination completed by a chiropractor who holds a certificate in health or physical examinations in the same manner that the school accepts a physical examination completed by a licensed physician. A youth athletic activity is any organized athletic activity in which the participants, a majority of whom are under 19 years of age, are engaged in an athletic game or competition against another team, club, or entity, and includes practice or preparation for such a game or competition. In addition, the bill allows a school district to contract with an interscholastic association only if, for purposes of determining whether a pupil may participate in a youth athletic activity or an extracurricular activity, the association accepts a physical examination completed by a chiropractor who holds a certificate in health or physical examinations in the same manner that the association accepts a physical examination completed by a licensed physician.

If a technical college within the Technical College System or a two-year college campus within the University of Wisconsin System (UW college) requires a student to have a physical examination as a condition of participating in an athletic activity, the bill requires the technical college or UW college to accept, in the same manner that it accepts a physical examination completed by a licensed physician, a physical examination completed by a chiropractor who holds a certificate in health or physical examinations.

Chiropractic acupuncture and dry needling Under the bill, a chiropractor who is licensed by the examining board may practice chiropractic acupuncture, as defined in the bill, without being an acupuncturist certified by the Department of Safety and Professional Services if the examining board registers the licensed chiropractor to practice chiropractic acupuncture. Under the bill, the examining board may register a licensed chiropractor to practice chiropractic acupuncture if, among other requirements, the chiropractor does the following:

1. Submits evidence satisfactory to the examining board that the licensed chiropractor has completed at least 200 hours of instruction in chiropractic acupuncture at a college of chiropractic approved by the examining board or at an accredited college or university.

2. Successfully completes the acupuncture examination administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

3. Pays a one-time registration fee of $100.

The bill also establishes standards for the certification of and authorizes the examining board to certify a licensed chiropractor to practice chiropractic dry needling, which is defined in the bill as puncturing the skin of the human body with needles at trigger points to treat neuromusculoskeletal pain and performance.

Delegation of services The bill authorizes a chiropractor to delegate certain services that are preparatory or complementary to chiropractic adjustments to various licensed health care professionals if the services are performed under the direct, on-premises supervision of the chiropractor. Currently, a chiropractor may delegate such services only to a chiropractic technician.

Administrative rules Finally, the bill makes several changes to the administrative rules promulgated by the Chiropractic Examining Board, including the following:

1. Provides that a chiropractic student need not be in his or her last academic quarter, semester, or trimester in order to qualify for a preceptorship, provided the student is eligible for graduation.

2. Specifies that a licensed chiropractor is not prohibited from using cold laser therapy and that a licensed chiropractor may practice acupuncture at the same location as the chiropractor practices chiropractic if the chiropractor is also a certified acupuncturist.