Charitable Organizations - Charitable Donation and Tax-Exempt Status - Revocation (Keeping Charities Nonpartisan Act of 2026)
HB0514 revises the Maryland Chiropractic Act and the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners’ authority over licensure, discipline, and board operations. The bill changes how chiropractor members are nominated to the Board, removes the prior “extern license” framework and replaces it with a temporary license process, and updates licensure requirements to reflect accredited chiropractic programs rather than Board-approved schools. It also revises application materials, inactive-status reactivation rules, and the Board’s examination structure, including adding state law and infection-control content to the Board-administered exam.
The bill also expands the Board’s enforcement tools. It authorizes unannounced inspections of chiropractor offices in response to certain complaints involving CDC standard precautions, requires licensees or applicants to submit to an examination by a Board-designated health care provider when the Board has reason to believe they may pose harm, and adds new grounds for discipline related to professional standards, cooperation with investigations, and infection-control compliance. It repeals the prior school-approval section and shifts the regulatory focus toward accreditation, temporary practice, and Board rulemaking on preceptorships.
The bill amends multiple sections of the Health Occupations Article governing chiropractic practice in Maryland, including Board composition, licensure qualifications, examinations, temporary practice, inactive status, disciplinary grounds, and penalties. It repeals the Board’s prior authority over approving chiropractic schools and replaces references to Board-approved schools with accreditation-based standards, while also adding a new section authorizing compelled fitness examinations and repealing the former externship licensing provisions. Chiropractors, applicants, and the Board are the primary affected parties, with the Board gaining broader oversight and enforcement authority.
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded vote information, so there is no documented debate to characterize. Based on the bill text, the measure appears generally regulatory and modernization-oriented, with a clear emphasis on public protection, infection control, and updating licensure standards. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the provided materials suggests no identifiable public sentiment can be inferred beyond the bill’s face.
The most likely points of contention are the expanded disciplinary and inspection powers, especially the authority to conduct unannounced office inspections and to require applicants or licensees to undergo a Board-designated health care examination when harm is suspected. Another possible area of debate is the shift away from Board-approved schools and extern licenses toward accreditation-based education standards and temporary licenses, which may affect how chiropractors are trained, supervised, and admitted to practice. The revised nomination process for Board chiropractor members may also be contentious because it changes the role of the Maryland Chiropractic Association and broadens who may nominate candidates.