SENATE BILL REPORT

                   HB 1627

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

          Health & Long-Term Care, February 22, 1996

Title:  An act relating to correcting obsolete terminology for the designation of osteopathic physician and surgeon.

Brief Description:  Modernizing osteopathic physician and surgeon terminology.

Sponsors:  Representatives Dyer, Backlund and Thibaudeau.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Health & Long-Term Care:  2/22/96 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators Quigley, Chair; Wojahn, Vice Chair; Deccio, Fairley, Franklin, Moyer, Thibaudeau, Winsley and Wood.

Staff:  Rhoda Jones (786-7198)

Background:  Osteopathic physicians and surgeons are licensed to practice osteopathic medicine and surgery in this state.  The tenets of osteopathic medicine and surgery emphasize the musculo-skeletal structure of the body, and include medical treatment as well as osteopathic manipulative therapy.

Practitioners are officially referred to in the code as osteopathic physicians and surgeons, but there are sections of the code that retain their former designations as osteopaths.  There are also older references to the practice as osteopathy.   

Summary of Amended Bill:    The code is purged of obsolete references to osteopaths, and their practice as osteopathy.  The effective date was changed from July 1, 1995, to July 1, 1996.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The effective date was changed from July 1, 1995, to July 1, 1996.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  The bill takes effect on July 1, 1996.

Testimony For:  Technical change in the code necessary for clarification.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Jeff Larson, WOMA.