New Hampshire SB 452: enabling health care providers to offer certain complementary and alternative health care services.

Bill Text

SB 452 - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2024

 05/09

SENATE BILL 452

AN ACT enabling health care providers to offer certain complementary and alternative health care services.

SPONSORS: Sen. Ward, Dist 8; Sen. Long, Dist 20; Sen. Avard, Dist 12; Sen. Rochefort, Dist 1

COMMITTEE: Health and Human Services

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ANALYSIS

 This bill enables an individual to offer certain complementary and alternative health care services to patients notwithstanding state licensing requirements, provided that the individual does not engage in certain conduct, and the individual discloses their qualifications and obtains informed consent from the patient for such services.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2024

 05/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT enabling health care providers to offer certain complementary and alternative health care services.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 New Chapter; Complementary and Alternative Health Care Practice Act. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 310-C the following new chapter:

CHAPTER 310-D

COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE PRACTICE ACT

 310-D:1 Short Title. This chapter may be cited as the "Complementary and Alternative Health Care Practice Act". 

 310-D:2 Definition of Complementary and Alternative Health Care Services. "Complementary and alternative health care services" means health care and healing methods, modalities, treatments, procedures, or protocols that have not been generally adopted by a profession, or that are not generally considered to be within the prevailing standards of care of a profession.

 310-D:3 Licensing Exemption. Notwithstanding New Hampshire licensing laws related to health care occupations and services, a person who provides complementary and alternative health care services and who is not licensed by the state of New Hampshire to practice a health care occupation shall not violate any New Hampshire licensing law relating to health care occupations and services unless that individual: 

 I. Engages in an activity prohibited under RSA 310-D:4; or 

 II. Fails to fulfill the duties set forth in RSA 310-D:5. 

 310-D:4 Prohibited Acts. A person providing complementary and alternative health care services shall not: 

 I. Perform surgery on an individual. 

 II. Administer x-ray radiation to an individual. 

 III. Set fractures on an individual. 

 IV. Prescribe or dispense prescription drugs or controlled substances to an individual. 

 V. Directly manipulate the joints or spine of an individual. 

 VI. Make a recommendation to discontinue current medical treatment prescribed by a licensed health care practitioner. 

 VII. Hold himself or herself out as or imply that he or she is licensed by the state of New Hampshire as a health care provider if he or she is not. 

 310-D:5 Disclosures. Except for persons acting pursuant to the direction of licensed health care facilities or licensed health care providers while working within the scope of their employment or direction, a complementary and alternative health care practitioner shall do all of the following: 

 I. Provide to a client prior to rendering services a client information document, either in writing in plain language that the client understands or, if the client cannot read, orally in a language the client understands, containing the following: 

 (a) The name, complementary and alternative health care title, business address, and telephone number of the person providing the complementary and alternative health care services. 

 (b) A statement that the person providing complementary and alternative health care services is not a health care practitioner licensed by the state of New Hampshire. 

 (c) A statement describing the nature of the complementary and alternative health care services generally provided. 

 (d) The degrees, education, training, experience, or other qualifications, if any, regarding the complementary and alternative health care services to be provided held by the person providing the complementary and alternative health care service. 

 II. Post a copy of the client information document in a prominent location in the office of the unlicensed complementary and alternative health care practitioner. 

 III. Obtain a written acknowledgment from a client, stating that the client has been provided with a copy of the information document described in paragraph I. The client shall be provided with a copy of the written acknowledgment, which shall be maintain