LRB-4272/1
KP:cdc
2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
October 14, 2019 - Introduced by Representatives Felzkowski, Dittrich,
Horlacher, Kitchens, Murphy, Mursau, Quinn, Ramthun, Schraa,
Skowronski, Tusler and Zimmerman, cosponsored by Senators Tiffany and
Kooyenga. Referred to Committee on Health.
AB546,1,5 1An Act to create chapter 461 of the statutes; relating to: providing
2complementary and alternative health care practitioners with exemptions
3from practice protection laws, requirements and prohibitions for individuals
4who provide complementary and alternative health care services, and
5providing a penalty.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill does the following: 1) establishes certain requirements and
prohibitions for complementary and alternative health care (CAHC) practitioners;
2) provides exemptions for CAHC practitioners from prohibitions against acting
without certain health-care related licenses, certifications, and other credentials if
they comply with provisions in the bill; and 3) provides the Department of Safety and
Professional Services with authority to investigate and take action against a CAHC
practitioner for violating a provision in the bill.
Under current law, DSPS, in conjunction with a number of credentialing boards
attached to DSPS, regulates and provides for the credentialing of various types of
health-care professions. Current law contains numerous prohibitions against
engaging in certain health-care related practices and against using titles associated
with certain health-care related professions without a required credential.
The bill establishes certain requirements pertaining to CAHC practitioners,
which are not specifically regulated or required to hold a specific credential under
current law. The bill requires a CAHC practitioner to provide to each client, before

first providing CAHC services to the client, certain information in a plainly worded
written statement, including the following: 1) information about the CAHC
practitioner; 2) a notice explaining that the CAHC practitioner is not practicing
under a health-care related credential granted by the state; 3) information about the
nature of the service to be provided; and 4) a list of any degrees, training, experience,
or other qualification that the CAHC practitioner has.
The bill requires a CAHC practitioner, before providing CAHC services to a
client, to obtain a written and signed acknowledgement from the client stating that
the client has received the information required to be provided. The bill requires the
CAHC practitioner to provide a copy of the acknowledgement to the client and to
retain a copy of it for at least two years.
The bill prohibits a person from acting as a CAHC practitioner if the person is
or was a credentialed health care professional and had his or her credential revoked
or suspended, unless the credential was subsequently reinstated; if the person was
convicted of certain felonies and has not completed his or her sentence; or if the
person is an individual found incompetent by a court.
The bill also prohibits a CAHC practitioner from taking other specific actions,
including the following: 1) taking certain actions with respect to prescription drugs;
2) recommending the discontinuation of treatment that is prescribed by a health care
professional; 3) making a diagnosis of a medical disease; or 4) holding himself or
herself out as a credentialed health care professional without a credential.
The bill provides that a CAHC practitioner does not violate any of the
prohibitions against engaging in the practices of medicine and surgery, midwifery,
nurse-midwifery, professional nursing, chiropractic, dentistry, perfusion,
respiratory care, physical therapy, podiatry, occupational therapy, optometry,
psychology, psychotherapy, clinical social work, marriage and family therapy,
professional counseling, pharmacy, speech pathology, audiology, acupuncture,
cosmetology, massage or bodywork therapy, and selling and fitting hearing aids; the
prohibition against claiming to provide dietetic services; or the prohibitions against
acting as a physician assistant or as an ambulance service provider, with respect to
the provision of CAHC services to a client, if the CAHC practitioner provides that
client with the statement required under the bill and does not violate the
prohibitions in the bill.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB546,1 1Section 1. Chapter 461 of the statutes is created to read:
AB546,2,22 chapter 461
AB546,3,2
1complementary and alternative
2 health care practices
AB546,3,3 3461.01 Definitions. In this chapter:
AB546,3,5 4(1) “Client” means an individual who receives or seeks to receive services from
5a complementary and alternative health care practitioner.
AB546,3,10 6(2) “Complementary and alternative health care practitioner” means an
7individual, other than a health care professional acting within the scope of his or her
8practice, who provides or offers to provide complementary and alternative health
9care services to a client in exchange for compensation or holds himself or herself out
10to the public as a provider of complementary and alternative health care services.
AB546,3,14 11(3) “Complementary and alternative health care service” means a health care
12practice or method of healing therapy or modality other than one that a
13complementary and alternative health care practitioner is prohibited from providing
14under s. 461.03 (1).
AB546,3,15 15(4) “Controlled substance” has the meaning given in s. 961.01 (4).
AB546,3,16 16(5) “Credential” has the meaning given in s. 440.01 (2) (a).
AB546,3,17 17(6) “Dangerous drug” means any of the following:
AB546,3,1818 (a) A prescription drug, as defined in s. 450.01 (20).
AB546,3,2019 (b) A drug that is required by federal law to be labeled as a drug that may only
20be prescribed to an animal.
AB546,3,23 21(7) “Health care professional” has the meaning given for “health care provider”
22in s. 146.81 (1) (a) to (hp) and also includes a licensed midwife, as defined in s.
23440.9805 (2).
AB546,4,10 24461.02 Exemptions from requirements to hold credentials.
25Notwithstanding ss. 256.15 (2), 440.982 (1), 441.06 (4), 441.15 (2), 446.02 (1), 447.03

1(1) and (2), 448.03 (1) (a), (b), and (c) and (1m), 448.51 (1), 448.61, 448.76, 448.961
2(1) and (2), 449.02 (1), 450.03 (1), 451.04 (1), 454.04 (1), 455.02 (1m), 457.04 (4), (5),
3(6), and (7), 459.02 (1), 459.24 (1), and 460.02, a complementary and alternative
4health care practitioner does not violate any of the prohibitions against engaging in
5a practice without a credential under s. 256.15 (2), 440.982 (1), 441.06 (4), 441.15 (2),
6446.02 (1), 447.03 (1) or (2), 448.03 (1) (a), (b), or (c) or (1m), 448.51 (1), 448.61, 448.76,
7448.961 (1) or (2), 449.02 (1), 450.03 (1), 451.04 (1), 454.04 (1), 455.02 (1m), 457.04
8(4), (5), (6), or (7), 459.02 (1), 459.24 (1), or 460.02 and may provide complementary
9and alternative health care services unless the complementary and alternative
10health care practitioner violates s. 461.03 or 461.04.
AB546,4,12 11461.03 Prohibitions. (1) A complementary and alternative health care
12practitioner may not do any of the following:
AB546,4,1313 (a) Perform surgery.
AB546,4,1414 (b) Set fractures.
AB546,4,1615 (c) Puncture the skin, except by pricking a finger for purposes of blood
16screening.
AB546,4,1717 (d) Prescribe or administer X-ray services.
AB546,4,2018 (e) Prescribe or administer a dangerous drug, controlled substance, or device,
19as defined in s. 450.01 (6), that may be prescribed or administered only by a health
20care professional.
AB546,4,2121 (f) Perform a chiropractic adjustment or manipulation of joints or a spine.
AB546,4,2322 (g) Hold out, state, or imply to a person that he or she is a health care
23professional.
AB546,4,2524 (h) Recommend to a client that he or she discontinue current medical treatment
25that is prescribed by a health care professional.
AB546,5,1
1(i) Make a diagnosis of a medical disease.
AB546,5,3 2(2) A complementary and alternative health care practitioner may not do any
3of the following:
AB546,5,44 (a) Engage in any of the following:
AB546,5,55 1. Sexual contact, as defined in s. 939.22 (34), with a client.
AB546,5,76 2. Contact with a client that may be reasonably interpreted by the client as
7sexual.
AB546,5,88 3. Verbal behavior that is seductive or sexually demeaning to a client.
AB546,5,99 4. Sexual exploitation of a client or former client.
AB546,5,1210 (b) Falsely advertise or provide false information about the complementary and
11alternative health care practitioner's degree, training, experience, or other
12qualification or about a complementary and alternative health care service.
AB546,5,1313 (c) Violate a law relating to a dangerous drug or a controlled substance.
AB546,5,1514 (d) Release a client's records or information about the client's transactions
15unless the release is authorized by the client in writing or otherwise provided by law.
AB546,5,2116 (e) Give or receive, directly or indirectly, to or from any other person any fee,
17commission, rebate, or other form of compensation or anything of value for sending,
18referring, or otherwise inducing a person to communicate with a complementary and
19alternative health care practitioner in a professional capacity, or for any
20complementary and alternative health care service not actually rendered personally
21by the complementary and alternative health care practitioner.
AB546,5,23 22(3) No person may act as a complementary and alternative health care
23practitioner if any of the following applies:
AB546,5,2524 (a) The person is or was a health care professional and had his or her credential
25revoked or suspended, unless the credential was subsequently reinstated.
AB546,6,2
1(b) The person was convicted of a felony against a person and has not completed
2his or her sentence, including any probation, parole, or extended supervision.
AB546,6,43 (c) The person was convicted of a felony, the circumstances of which relate to
4providing health care.
AB546,6,55 (d) The person is an individual found incompetent, as defined in s. 54.01 (16).
AB546,6,7 6461.04 Required disclosures. (1) A complementary and alternative health
7care practitioner shall provide to a client all of the following:
AB546,6,98 (a) Reasonable notice of a change to complementary and alternative health care
9services provided.
AB546,6,1110 (b) Reasonable notice of a change to a charge for a complementary and
11alternative health care service.
AB546,6,1612 (c) Complete and current information concerning the complementary and
13alternative health care practitioner's assessment of the client and the recommended
14complementary and alternative health care service that is to be provided, including
15the expected duration of the service and access to the client's records and written
16information contained in the client's records.
AB546,6,19 17(2) A complementary and alternative health care practitioner shall, before
18providing a complementary and alternative health care service, disclose to a client
19in a plainly worded written statement all of the following:
AB546,6,2120 (a) The name, business address, and telephone number of the complementary
21and alternative health care practitioner.
AB546,6,2422 (b) The fact that the complementary and alternative health care practitioner
23is not practicing under a health care license, certification, or registration granted by
24this state.
AB546,7,2
1(c) The nature of the complementary and alternative health care service to be
2provided.
AB546,7,53 (d) A list of any degree, training, experience, or other qualification the
4complementary and alternative health care practitioner has or holds regarding the
5complementary and alternative health care service to be provided.
AB546,7,76 (e) The complementary and alternative health care practitioner's fees per unit
7of service and the method of billing for such fees.
AB546,7,108 (f) A statement that the client has a right to reasonable notice of a change to
9complementary and alternative health care services provided or to a charge for a
10complementary and alternative health care service.
AB546,7,1611 (g) A statement that the client has the right to complete and current
12information concerning the complementary and alternative health care
13practitioner's assessment and recommended complementary and alternative health
14care service that is to be provided, including the expected duration of the service to
15be provided and the client's right to be allowed access to the client's records and
16written information in the client's records.
AB546,7,2017 (h) A statement that the complementary and alternative health care
18practitioner may not release a client's records or information about the client's
19transactions unless the release is authorized by the client in writing or otherwise
20provided by law.
AB546,7,2221 (i) A statement that the client has a right to coordinated transfer if there is a
22change in the provider of complementary and alternative health care services.
AB546,7,2523 (j) The name, address, and telephone number of the department and a
24statement that the client may file a complaint with the department regarding
25conduct that violates this chapter.
AB546,8,8
1(3) A complementary and alternative health care practitioner shall display a
2written notice containing all of the information that is required under sub. (2) in a
3prominent location where complementary and alternative health care services are
4provided. The notice shall be written in not less than 12-point font size, and the
5complementary and alternative health care provider shall make a reasonable
6accommodation to disclose the information in the notice to a client who cannot read,
7who has a communication impairment, or who does not read or speak English or the
8same language as the complementary and alternative health care practitioner.
AB546,8,12 9(4) (a) A client shall sign a written acknowledgment stating that the client has
10been provided with the information described under subs. (1) and (2) before a
11complementary and alternative health care practitioner may provide a
12complementary and alternative health care service to the client for the first time.
AB546,8,1913 (b) If the information that is described under sub. (1) changes after a client
14signs the written acknowledgment under par. (a), the client shall sign another
15written acknowledgement stating that the client has been provided with the
16up-to-date information described under subs. (1) and (2) before a complementary
17and alternative health care practitioner may provide a complementary and
18alternative health care service to the client for the first time after the information
19changes.
AB546,8,2220 (c) The complementary and alternative health care practitioner shall provide
21a client with a copy of a signed acknowledgement under par. (a) or (b) and shall
22maintain each signed acknowledgement for at least 2 years.
AB546,9,2 23(5) If a complementary and alternative health care practitioner does not
24possess a credential, the complementary and alternative health care practitioner
25shall in each advertisement made for a complementary and alternative health care

1service disclose that he or she has not been granted a license to practice a licensed
2health profession in this state.
AB546,9,5 3(6) Subsections (2) to (5) do not apply to an employee of a licensed health care
4facility or an employee of or a person acting pursuant to the direction of a licensed
5health professional practicing within the scope of his or her practice.
AB546,9,8 6461.05 Applicability. (1) Nothing in this chapter applies to, controls, or
7prevents any acts or persons that would otherwise already be exempt from
8professional practice acts.
AB546,9,11 9(2) Nothing in this chapter limits the right of a person to seek relief for
10negligent or willful harm, or any other relief, against a complementary and
11alternative health care practitioner.
AB546,9,14 12461.06 Enforcement. (1) If it appears upon the complaint of any person to
13the department that a complementary and alternative health care practitioner is
14violating this chapter, the department may investigate the alleged violation.
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