Oppose CA SB 796 A hijacked bill attempting to eliminate the use of the title Naturopath in CA

Oppose CA SB 796
A hijacked bill attempting to eliminate the use of the title Naturopath in CA

SB 796 has passed the CA Senate and is now in the Assembly.  We need your help to stop this bill NOW!  The bill seeks to prohibit the use of the titles “naturopath,” “naturopathic practitioner,” and “traditional naturopath” by anyone who is not a medicalized Naturopath Doctor.  SB796 was originally a Sunset Bill for the regulation of medicalized Naturopathic Doctors, but was amended in the Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee on April 24, 2017 to take the long-standing title of “naturopath” out of the public domain.  Please Take Action to Oppose SB 796. Read the bill here.

There are two groups providing naturopathic care in California; a smaller medicalized group called Naturopathic Doctors and a larger traditional non-medical group called traditional naturopaths.  The medicalized group is attempting to take away the use of the title “naturopath” away from their traditional naturopathic colleagues.  They are doing this with their April amendment.  SB 796 now threatens the practice and livelihoods of hundreds of traditional naturopaths practicing legally in CA, and harming the traditional naturopathic colleges in CA.  Currently in CA traditional naturopaths practice in the public domain under CA Business and Professions Code along with thousands of complementary and alternative health care practitioners as long as they abstain from a list of prohibited acts and provide certain disclosures prior to delivering services.

In 2003, the new small medicalized Naturopathic Doctor group won licensure in California by adding risky medical procedures, intravenous infusions (I. V’s), and the right to cut into the body, into a scope of practice and requesting the exclusive use of the term Doctor of Naturopathy.  However, with the support of Senator John Burton, the terms “naturopath”, “traditional naturopath” and “naturopathy” were specifically protected so that the public would be clearly and properly informed about their practitioner.  Take Action Here.

Last year tragically, a patient was killed after receiving an intravenous drip containing turmeric from a medicalized naturopath.  The medicalized naturopaths now argue that the solution to protect the public is to prevent any traditional naturopath who does not perform risky medical procedure from using the name “traditional naturopath” and from describing their works as “traditional naturopathy.”  This doesn’t make sense.

We want the public to know who is treating them and why, including traditional naturopaths– taking the name naturopathy and naturopath out of the public domain will confuse Californians and perversely reward the medicalized naturopaths for the death caused by one of their own.

If SB796 passes as now written, millions of Californians will find it more difficult to access and understand what non-medical traditional naturopathy is.

If SB796 passes as written, traditional naturopaths, and Mexican –American curanderos, who practice a form of traditional naturopathy will no longer be able to simply and clearly explain their work to their patients.  Most of these practitioners are small business women who serve their communities at a low cost compared to the medicalized naturopaths who are few in number compared to the traditional naturopaths.

Click Here to send your legislators, both Representatives and Senator, a letter asking them to oppose SB 796. Ask them to please bring SB796 before a Committee to remove the claim by medicalized naturopaths for their exclusive rights to these titles.

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

The bill has passed the Senate and has now been acknowledged on the floor of the Assembly. Take Action Here.