N.Y. acupuncture bill vetoed

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday vetoed a bill that would have regulated and permitted acupuncturists to treat injured workers in the state’s workers compensation system.

S.B. 6666, which passed both the state Senate and Assembly in June, would have altered the state’s workers compensation law to expand treatment options to include acupuncture, an alternative treatment for pain, by a licensed or certified practitioner.

The bill would have required acupuncturists to file an application to treat injured workers and would have also created a committee to approve such applications and to enact a fee schedule.

The bill would have also provided guidelines on how treatment is to progress, according to the bill’s language.

The governor’s office has not released a statement on the veto. Gov. Cuomo vetoed similar bills in 2013 and 2014.