No. CS/SB 914
Filed under Healthcare.
Dry Needling; Defining the terms “dry needling” and “myofascial trigger point”; requiring the Board of Occupational Therapy to establish minimum standards of practice for the performance of dry needling by occupational therapists, including specified standards; requiring the board, if it deems it necessary for patient safety, to adopt additional supervision and training requirements for occupational therapists to perform dry needling on specified areas, etc.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDOccupational therapists can now perform dry needling -- inserting thin needles into muscle trigger points to treat pain and movement problems -- something Florida law did not previously address for this profession.
To qualify, an occupational therapist needs 2 years of licensed practice, 50 hours of hands-on continuing education on dry needling, and at least 25 supervised patient sessions before practicing independently.
Patients must consent and have dry needling written into their care plan. Only an authorized occupational therapist can perform it -- the treatment cannot be handed off to an assistant or aide.
The Board of Occupational Therapy can add extra supervision and training rules for needling the head, neck, or torso if it decides that's needed for patient safety, and the Department of Health must report on outcomes by the end of 2028.
AICreates an entirely new authority in Florida law. The technique is defined for the first time, and the Board of Occupational Therapy must set minimum practice standards before any occupational therapist may perform it.
AISets concrete minimum qualifications: two years of licensed occupational therapy practice plus 50 hours of hands-on, board-approved continuing education covering theory, safe needle handling, indications and contraindications, psychomotor skills, and post-treatment care.
AIRequires completion of at least 25 patient dry-needling sessions under a qualified supervisor -- an occupational therapist, physical therapist, or chiropractic physician with at least a year of dry-needling experience -- who confirms the therapist no longer needs supervision.
AIDry needling may only be performed with patient consent as part of a documented care plan, and the treatment itself cannot be handed off to anyone other than an authorized occupational therapist.
AIGives the board discretion to impose additional supervision and training requirements for dry needling on these more sensitive areas, but only if it decides the extra rules are necessary for patient safety.
AIRequires a report to the Senate President and House Speaker by December 31, 2028 detailing how many occupational therapists are licensed, how many perform dry needling, geographic shifts in the workforce, and adverse incidents from the practice.