Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 246-803 WAC, Acupuncture and Eastern medicine practitioner, the department of health (department) is considering rule making necessary to implement various legislative changes throughout the chapter, including: Adding continuing education; making title changes; repealing apprenticeship and tutorial requirements; repealing the AIDS education and training requirement; updating citations; and adding new rules for suicide prevention and education. Housekeeping changes will be considered as necessary.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 18.06.160; SHB 1865 (chapter 308, Laws of 2019); ESHB 1551 (chapter 76, Laws of 2020); SHB 2378 (chapter 80, Laws of 2020); and ESHB 2411 (chapter 229, Laws of 2020).

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Rule making is necessary to implement the following:

SHB 1865, chapter 308, Laws of 2019, the department is considering establishing new requirements for continuing education; changing the title "East Asian" to "acupuncture and Eastern medicine" throughout the chapter; and repealing the apprenticeship and tutorial requirements.

ESHB 1551, chapter 76, Laws of 2020, the bill removes the requirement for AIDS education and training. The department is considering amending existing rules to repeal the requirements for AIDS education and training.

SHB 2378, chapter 80, Laws of 2020, the bill eliminates the osteopathic physician assistant license on July 1, 2022, and converts the license to a physician assistant. The bill repeals chapter 18.57A RCW, the statutory authority for osteopathic physician assistant, and places the licensing authority under chapter 18.71A RCW, allopathic physician assistants. The department is considering amending the rules to repeal references to chapter 18.57A RCW to reflect changes in the statute.

ESHB 2411, chapter 229, Laws of 2020, the bill amends RCW 43.70.442 to require acupuncture and Eastern medicine practitioners take a one-time training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management. The department is considering establishing requirements for suicide prevention and education for acupuncture and Eastern medicine practitioners.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Vicki Brown, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, phone 360-236-4865, fax 360-236-2901, TTY 711, email vicki.brown@doh.wa.gov, website www.doh.wa.gov, https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOH/subscriber/new.

Additional comments: Interested parties may sign up to receive rule-making notices at www.doh.wa.gov, select the green Subscribe button at the bottom of the page.