Oppose CA SB 796, Attempting to Eliminate Titles Naturopath and Traditional Naturopath

Oppose CA SB 796, Attempting to Eliminate the Use of the Titles Naturopath and Traditional Naturopath

SB 796 seeks to prohibit the use of the titles “naturopath,” “naturopathic practitioner,” and “traditional naturopath” by unlicensed natural health practitioners legally practicing in California and attempts to require them to obtain naturopathic medical licensure in order to use their traditional titles.  SB 796 threatens the practice of thousands of unlicensed natural health practitioners in CA practicing as traditional naturopaths. Please Take Action to Oppose SB 796.

SB796 was originally a Sunset Bill for the Naturopathic Doctors Act, but was amended in the Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee on April 24, 2017, to eliminate the ability of unlicensed naturopaths to refer to themselves as a, “naturopath,” “naturopathic practitioner,“ and “traditional naturopath”. Practitioners using these terms are free to practice in the public domain in CA under a Health Freedom Safe Harbor law (passed in 2001) as long as they abstain from a list of prohibited acts and provide certain disclosures prior to delivering services. Take Action Here.

The author of SB 796 heard about a recent incident in San Diego involving harm caused by an injection provided by a licensed naturopathic doctor. Current law provides for the case in which licensed practitioners do harm. However, the case had nothing to do with an unlicensed person or a traditional naturopath who practice non-invasive practices and are legally required to give out notices to their clients that they are not licensed, and are required to avoid a list of prohibited acts such as injections or puncture of the skin or giving out drugs.

SB796 would harm many natural health traditional naturopathic practitioners and does nothing to strengthen the enforcement of the licensed persons doing dangerous acts. Please let your senators know that the unlicensed traditional naturopaths, who are NOT even allowed to puncture the skin, should not be punished because of the bad acts of a licensed practitioner Click Here to send your senators a letter asking them to oppose SB 796. Read the bill here.

After you send a letter, please call your senator’s office to voice your opposition as well. If you don’t know who represents you click here to find out.

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The bill was heard in the senate appropriations committee on May 15, 2017 and is on its way to the senate floor. Take Action Here.