republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2024/hb-1278.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Auricular acupuncture; use of the five needle protocol.	Auricular acupuncture; use of the five needle protocol. Allows any person to engage in the five needle auricular acupuncture protocol (5NP), a standardized protocol wherein up to five needles are inserted into the external human ear to provide relief from the effects of behavioral health conditions, provided that such person (i) has appropriate training in the 5NP, including training established by the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association or equivalent certifying body; (ii) does not use any letters, words, or insignia indicating or implying that he is an acupuncturist; and (iii) makes no statement implying that his practice of the 5NP is licensed, certified, or otherwise overseen by the Commonwealth. Treatment utilizing the 5NP pursuant to this bill is strictly limited to the insertion of disposable, sterile acupuncture needles into the ear and only in compliance with the 5NP.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2024	HB 1278	Virginia HB 1278 (2024)	bill		enacted	Eric R. Zehr	4	31	6	2024-01-10	2024-04-05	openstates	ocd-bill/89c86b2d-e987-49ab-904b-96f398ded0a5	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB1278	adc7066a3e8cf94fd8211445e90f7ef178a5cc48634f6b3d78e8bfc8b4a8b18f	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 1278 (2024) — Auricular acupuncture; use of the five needle protocol.

Auricular acupuncture; use of the five needle protocol. Allows any person to engage in the five needle auricular acupuncture protocol (5NP), a standardized protocol wherein up to five needles are inserted into the external human ear to provide relief from the effects of behavioral health conditions, provided that such person (i) has appropriate training in the 5NP, including training established by the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association or equivalent certifying body; (ii) does not use any letters, words, or insignia indicating or implying that he is an acupuncturist; and (iii) makes no statement implying that his practice of the 5NP is licensed, certified, or otherwise overseen by the Commonwealth. Treatment utilizing the 5NP pursuant to this bill is strictly limited to the insertion of disposable, sterile acupuncture needles into the ear and only in compliance with the 5NP.

Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. CHAP0548 (committee substitute) — source
2. Committee substitute printed 24106733D-H1 (committee substitute) — source
3. HB1278ER (committee substitute) — source
4. Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24100800D (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Reported from Education and Health (15-Y 0-N) — 15–0 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Passage (97-Y 3-N) — 96–3 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute (20-Y 2-N) — 20–2 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N) — 8–0 (pass) · lower
• Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) — 39–0 (pass) · upper
• Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Eric R. Zehr — primary (person)
• Nadarius E. Clark — cosponsor (person)
• Sam Rasoul — cosponsor (person)
• Wendell S. Walker — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

• 2024-01-10 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24100800D filing, introduction
• 2024-01-10 Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services referral-committee
• 2024-01-23 Assigned sub: Behavioral Health referral-committee
• 2024-02-01 House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
• 2024-02-01 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N) substitution
• 2024-02-06 Impact statement from DPB (HB1278)
• 2024-02-06 Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute (20-Y 2-N) committee-passage
• 2024-02-06 Committee substitute printed 24106733D-H1 substitution
• 2024-02-07 Impact statement from DPB (HB1278H1)
• 2024-02-08 Read first time reading-1
• 2024-02-09 Read second time reading-2
• 2024-02-09 Committee substitute agreed to 24106733D-H1 substitution
• 2024-02-09 Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB1278H1 substitution
• 2024-02-12 Read third time and passed House (97-Y 3-N) passage, reading-3
• 2024-02-12 VOTE: Passage (97-Y 3-N) passage
• 2024-02-13 Constitutional reading dispensed
• 2024-02-13 Referred to Committee on Education and Health referral-committee
• 2024-02-21 Assigned Education and Health Sub: Health Professions referral-committee
• 2024-02-29 Reported from Education and Health (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-03-01 Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
• 2024-03-04 Read third time reading-3
• 2024-03-04 Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) passage
• 2024-03-08 Enrolled enrolled
• 2024-03-08 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1278ER) passage
• 2024-03-08 Impact statement from DPB (HB1278ER)
• 2024-03-08 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2024-03-09 Signed by President passage
• 2024-03-11 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2024 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2024-03-11 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 8, 2024 executive-receipt
• 2024-04-05 Approved by Governor-Chapter 548 (effective 7/1/24) executive-signature
• 2024-04-05 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0548)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/89c86b2d-e987-49ab-904b-96f398ded0a5. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).