HB3344 amends the Illinois Acupuncture Practice Act to expand the statutory definition of “acupuncture.” Under the bill, acupuncture would expressly include ordering laboratory tests, consistent with state law, to help check, track, evaluate, and monitor the effectiveness of pain management, herbal medicinal plans, and dietary and exercise plans, as well as orders provided to the patient by a physician licensed under the Medical Practice Act. The bill also keeps the existing framework that acupuncture may include a wide range of East Asian and related treatment methods, such as moxibustion, herbal medicinals, dietary supplements, exercise, cupping, gua sha, and dry needling.
The bill also removes a current statutory sentence stating that an acupuncturist who is not also licensed as a physical therapist may not hold themselves out as qualified to provide physical therapy or physiotherapy services. At the same time, the bill leaves in place the broader limits on acupuncture practice, including that acupuncture does not include radiology, electrosurgery, chiropractic technique, physical therapy, naprapathic technique, prescribing pharmaceuticals or vaccines, or making a differential diagnosis. It also preserves the requirement that acupuncturists refer patients to a physician or dentist when a condition is beyond their scope.
The bill’s impact would be to broaden the practical scope of acupuncture licensure in Illinois by explicitly authorizing certain lab-test ordering and by adjusting how acupuncturists may describe their services relative to physical therapy. This would affect licensed acupuncturists, patients receiving integrative or East Asian medicine-based care, and potentially physicians and laboratories involved in coordinated treatment plans. The bill amends Section 10 of the Acupuncture Practice Act, which is scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028, but otherwise does not appear to alter the Act’s core licensing structure.
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no documented legislative debate or vote history to gauge sentiment. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a professional scope-of-practice expansion and clarification bill, likely intended to modernize acupuncture practice and align it more closely with integrative care models. Any opposition would most likely center on concerns about scope creep, overlap with physical therapy, or whether acupuncturists should be permitted to order and interpret laboratory tests within their practice.
HB3344 would amend Section 10 of the Acupuncture Practice Act to expand the definition of acupuncture to include ordering laboratory tests for monitoring treatment effectiveness and to remove a restriction on how non-physical-therapist acupuncturists may represent their services. The bill would affect licensed acupuncturists, patients receiving East Asian medicine or integrative care, and related health-care providers, while leaving intact the Act’s exclusions for physical therapy, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, radiology, and differential diagnosis.
No committee discussion or vote record was provided, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from legislators. On its face, the bill appears to be a technical and professional scope expansion aimed at clarifying acupuncture practice and supporting integrative treatment, which suggests a generally favorable policy intent. Any sentiment-based concerns would likely come from stakeholders worried about professional boundaries and patient safety rather than from the bill text itself.
The main potential point of contention is scope of practice: the bill would let acupuncturists order laboratory tests and would remove a specific prohibition on holding themselves out as qualified to provide physical therapy or physiotherapy services if they are not licensed physical therapists. That could raise concerns among physical therapists, other health-care professionals, or regulators about overlap, public confusion, and whether acupuncturists are being given authority beyond traditional acupuncture. Supporters would likely argue the changes simply clarify modern practice and improve coordinated care, especially for pain management and holistic treatment plans.