TAKE ACTION AND HELP STOP MASSACHUSETTS
SD1068 and HD1708

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TAKE ACTION!
HELP STOP MASSACHUSETTS SD1068 and HD1708
HELP SUPPORT MASSACHUSETTS SD1085 and HD1169

We want to alert you to the fact that there are two types of bills introduced in Massachusetts impacting access to healers. One type of bill is very good, and one type of bill is very negative and needs to be opposed.

Please OPPOSE SD.1068/HD.1708, a restrictive licensing bill, because it hurts alternative healing practitioners.
Please SUPPORT SD.1085/HD.1169, a proactive exemption bill, because it protects complementary and alternative health care practitioners.

OPPOSE SD1068/HD1708 because it is a restrictive licensing bill and a re-draft of former “bodywork” licensing bill. It will negatively affect thousands of healthseekers and hundreds of non-invasive gentle methods of healing including but not limited to reflexology, structural integration, bodywork, somatic healing practices such as Feldenkrais Method, Trager Approach, Ayurvedic Therapies, Polarity or Polarity Therapy, Qi Gong, Body/Mind Centering, Reiki and more. The bill could also impact over 200 spiritual holistic wellness and stress relief methods. The proposed restrictive bill will hurt practitioners, teachers of holistic modalities, consumers, hospice programs and hospitals bringing comfort and relief to those in pain and death, as well as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts economy. Take Action and write to your legislator to oppose this restrictive licensing bill.

SUPPORT SD.1085/HD.1169 because it is a safe harbor practitioner exemption bill that protects access to complementary and alternative health care practitioners. The bill provides a state exemption for the broad field of non-invasive complementary and alternative health care practitioners including but not limited to alternative healing practitioners such as Reiki, homeopaths, herbalists, energy healing practitioners and many more who avoid a specific list of prohibited conduct, such as puncturing the skin or administering prescription drugs, and who give out the disclosure information to their clients listed in the bill, before providing services, such as contact information, education and training, and the nature of the services to be rendered. TAKE ACTION and write to your legislator to SUPPORT access to complementary and alternative health care practitioners.

MORE REASONS to OPPOSE SD1068/HD1708

Under the licensing bill gentle alternative therapies would be unnecessarily regulated and require licensing by the government. The bills would add alternative healing therapies to the jurisdiction of the Massage Therapy Board. An Advisory Council of practitioners from various vocations would advise the Massage Board but the Board would be given the authority to adopt rules and regulations governing the licensure of all alternative healing therapists including demonstration of competency and the approval and operation of alternative therapy training and certification programs, and establish standards of professional and ethical conduct for alternative healing therapies and continuing education. Many of the spiritual and holistic practices affected by the proposed bills are minority traditions offered by sole practitioners. New, unnecessary regulatory burdens would force closures adversely impacting teaching masters, students and consumers alike. Many of these are women. Read the Entire Lengthy Regulatory bill HERE.

Also, under the restrictive licensing bill, practices and the use of titles would be prohibited and banned from the public domain. A person would not be able to hold themselves out to others as an alternative healing therapist or practice any alternative healing therapy unless the person holds a valid state license.

Requirement that instructional programs be licensed by the state would also prevent many practices from being taught due to the bureaucratic process, high fees. This will put countless practitioners out of business, hurt families, increase jobless claims and cause a loss of educational programs with restriction of trade and monopolization of health care offerings to state endorsed, dominant medicalized professions.

There is no constitutional basis for regulating vocations that do not pose an imminent risk of harm to the public. Reducing the prevalence of unnecessary and overly broad occupational licensing that hurts workers and consumers is a goal of many governments and Massachusetts should join in defeating these licensing bills.

Please OPPOSE SD1068/HD1708 and protect our alternative healing practitioner