H.B. 259 Summary

• Amends section 4759.02 regarding dietetics licensure by updating pronoun usage from "he/himself" to "the person/the person's self" for gender-neutral language.

• Establishes new Chapter 4783 to regulate complementary or alternative health care practitioners, defining "bodywork," "complementary or alternative health care services," and "complementary or alternative health care practitioner."

• Prohibits complementary or alternative health care practitioners from performing surgery, making medical diagnoses, adjusting spines, prescribing drugs, recommending discontinuation of prescribed treatments, and performing procedures requiring licensure (such as acupuncture or massage therapy requiring state medical board approval).

• Requires complementary or alternative health care practitioners to provide written disclosure to clients before first service, including practitioner qualifications, nature of services, required warnings about lack of state educational standards, and any financial arrangements with other practitioners.

• Limits enforcement actions to violations of prohibited activities or failure to provide required disclosures; exempts licensed health professionals from these restrictions when acting within their licensed scope of practice.