(a)  No person shall be licensed as a doctor of acupuncture or doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine unless the person has passed the examination by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or a credentialing body approved by the department.

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(b)  Before any applicant is eligible for licensure, he or she shall furnish satisfactory proof that the applicant:

(1)  Is a United States citizen or legal alien;

(2)  Has demonstrated proficiency in the English language;

(3)  Is at least twenty-one (21) years of age;

(4)  Is of good moral character;

(5)  Has completed an accredited program of not less than one thousand nine hundred five (1,905) hours of training and has received a certificate or diploma from an institute approved by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, or any accrediting body approved by the department, according to the provisions of this chapter; provided, that this subdivision does not apply to anyone licensed to practice under chapter 37 of this title who is qualified to take and pass the test by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, or any credentialing body meeting the standards for professional certification programs approved by the department;

(6)  Has completed a clinical internship training that is designated as appropriate by the Accreditation Commission for the Schools and Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) or any credentialing body meeting the standards for professional certification programs approved by the department; and

(7)  Has two (2) letters of reference from reputable individuals other than relatives, one of which is from a licensed or registered doctor of acupuncture or doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

(c)   Additional certification for the practice of Chinese herbal medicine.

(1)  A licensed acupuncturist is required to demonstrate that the licensee is qualified by training, experience, or certification to practice Chinese herbal medicine. The department shall adopt rules specifying the training required for licensed acupuncturists to obtain the certification to practice Chinese herbal medicine.

(2)  Licensees who obtained licensure prior to January 1, 2022, and employ herbal therapy, including herbal formulations, and who submitted evidence of herbal training that the department has determined was substantially equivalent or exceeded the ACAOM curricular requirements regarding Chinese herbal medicine may continue to employ herbal therapy and may be granted a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine license by the department.

(3)  A licensee who is licensed on or after January 1, 2022, and who completed an ACAOM accredited or candidate status Oriental medicine program, or traditional Chinese medicine program, or who completed an herbal medicine program that the department determined was substantially equivalent or exceeded the ACAOM curriculum requirements regarding herbal medicine, or who has passed the Chinese herbal medicine examination by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or a credentialing body approved the department, may continue to employ Chinese herbal medicine therapy during the course of treatment if the licensee has obtained department approval to employ herbal therapy, and shall be granted a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine license.

(d)  All licensees pursuant to this chapter shall adhere to procedures that employ the use of disposable, single-use, sterile needles, with proper handling and disposal, and that follow the provisions of universal precautions.