Minnesota

AN INDIVIDUAL MUST FALL INTO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING FIVE CATEGORIES TO PERFORM BONE DENSITY TESTING:
1. Practitioner of the healing arts, physician assistant, registered radiologist assistant or
Radiology Practitioner Assistant
2. ARRT certified
3. ARRT(BD)
4. Individuals who were registered as x-ray operators between December 1996 and December 2007
5. Limited scope operator who has passed the core exam administered by ARRT and the hip and spine
module or the extremity module for finger and forearm.

Department of Health
Radiation Control/X-ray Unit
144.121 X-RAY MACHINES; OTHER SOURCES OF IONIZING RADIATION.
Subd. 5. Examination for individual operating x-ray equipment.
(a) After January 1, 2008, an individual in a facility with x-ray equipment for use on humans that is registered under subdivision 1 may not operate, nor may the facility allow the individual to operate, x-ray equipment unless the individual has passed a national examination for limited x-ray machine operators that meet the requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c) and is approved by the commissioner of health.
(b) The commissioner shall establish criteria for the approval of examinations based on national standards, such as the examination in radiography from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, the examination for the limited scope of practice in radiography from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists for limited x-ray machine operators, and the American Registry of Chiropractic Radiography Technologists for limited radiography in spines and extremities; or equivalent examinations approved by other states. Equivalent examinations may be approved by the commissioner, if the examination is consistent with the standards for educational and psychological testing as recommended by the American Education Research Association, the American Psychological Association, the National Council on Measurement in Education, or the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. The organization proposing the use of an equivalent examination shall submit a fee to the commissioner of $1,000 per examination to cover the cost of determining the extent to which the examination meets the examining standards. The collected fee shall be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the state government special revenue fund.
(c) The examination for limited x-ray machine operators must include:
(1) radiation protection, equipment maintenance and operation, image production and evaluation, and patient care and management; and
(2) at least one of the following regions of the human anatomy: chest, extremities, skull and sinus, spine, or ankle and foot. The examinations must include the anatomy of, and positioning for, the specific regions.
(d) A limited x-ray operator who is required to take an examination under this subdivision must submit to the commissioner an application for the examination, a $25 processing fee, and the required examination fee set by the national organization offering the examination. The processing fee and the examination fee shall be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the state government special revenue fund. The commissioner shall submit the fee to the national organization providing the examination.
Subd. 5a. Limited x-ray machine operator practice.
(a) A limited x-ray operator may only practice medical radiography on limited regions of the human anatomy for which the operator has successfully passed an examination identified in subdivision 5, unless the operator meets one of the exemptions described in paragraph (b). The operator may practice using only routine radiographic procedures, for the interpretation by and under the direction of a licensed practitioner, excluding computed tomography, the use of contrast media, and the use of fluoroscopic or mammographic equipment.
(b) This subdivision does not apply to:
(1) limited x-ray machine operators who passed the examination that was required before January 1, 2008;
(2) certified radiologic technologists, licensed dental hygienists, registered dental assistants, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and registered physician assistants;
(3) individuals who are licensed in Minnesota to practice medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic, podiatry, or dentistry; and
(4) individuals who are participating in a training course in any of the occupations listed in clause (2) or (3) for the duration and within the scope of the training course.
4732.0850 BONE DENSITOMETRY SYSTEMS.
Subpart 1. Applicability. Facilities using bone densitometry systems or pQCT peripheral systems must comply with the requirements in this part and other relevant requirements in this chapter. Persons registered to possess radiation-producing equipment must be responsible for maintaining the equipment in compliance with:
1. nationally recognized standards, such as Code of Federal Regulations, title 21, section 1020;
2. the manufacturer’s specifications; or
3. part 4732.1100.
Subp. 2. General requirements for bone densitometry systems. The registrant must ensure that:
1. systems with stepless collimators are provided with the means to both size and align the x-ray field at the place of the image receptor and does not exceed the SID by two percent;
2. during the operation of the bone densitometry system, the operator, ancillary personnel, and members of the general public must be positioned to maintain occupational radiation dose and dose to the public as low as reasonably achievable during the examination so as not to exceed the limits in parts 4732.0410to 4732.0430;
3. the radiographic procedures are conducted according to radiographic order requirements in part 4732.0560, subpart 2; and
4. the equipment performance evaluations are completed at intervals not to exceed 24 months according to:
(1) nationally recognized standards such as Code of Federal Regulations, title 21, section 1020;
(2) the manufacturer’s specifications; or
(3) part 4732.1100.
Subp. 3. Quality assurance or quality control procedures. The registrant must ensure that:
1. all quality assurance or quality control procedures follow the recommendations of a nationally recognized standard, and the manufacturer’s specifications for quality control tests;
2. the frequency of quality assurance or quality control procedures, and corrective actions taken as a result of the quality control testing are followed and documented; and
3. the facility’s operating and emergency procedures include quality assurance or quality control procedures.
Subp. 4. Bone density system operators. The registrant must ensure that an operator of bone densitometry equipment must:
144. be a licensed practitioner of the healing arts, physician assistant, registered radiologist assistant or radiology practitioner assistant, or be an x-ray operator having fulfilled the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 144.121, subdivision 5;
145. complete specific manufacturer’s training or the equivalent on bone densitometry equipment; and
146. have site-specific training on the registrant’s operating and emergency procedures.