SB 1303: Naturopathic Doctors Act.

Session Year: 2025-2026
House: Senate
Latest Version Date: 2026-08-20

Current Status:

In Progress

(2026-08-24: Joint Rule 62(a) suspended.)

Introduced

In Committee

Awaiting First Chamber Vote

Passed First Chamber

In Committee

Awaiting Second Chamber Vote

Passed Second Chamber

Enacted

Version:

Existing law, the Naturopathic Doctors Act, which is repealed on January 1, 2027, establishes the California Board of Naturopathic Medicine within the Department of Consumer Affairs to license and regulate naturopathic doctors. The act requires the board to consist of 9 members, appointed by the Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, or the Senate Committee on Rules, as specified, and requires each member of the board be appointed to a 4-year term.

This bill would instead repeal those provisions on January 1, 2031. The bill would specify that the 4-year term expires 4 years after the date of the appointment. To ensure staggered terms, the bill would require that specified members appointed by the Governor after the effective date of this bill be appointed for prescribed term lengths and thereafter would require all appointments be for four-year terms. The bill would also make nonsubstantive changes to the provisions specifying the appointment authorities for the board members.

Existing law sets forth fees associated with the application and renewal of a license, including a renewal fee of $1,000 and authorizing an increase to not more than $1,200.

This bill would, instead, specify that this fee range applies to the renewal of an active license and would require the renewal fee for an inactive license to be one-half of the current renewal fee for an active license. The bill would authorize the board to accept the voluntary cancellation of a naturopathic doctors license, as prescribed, upon the written request of the licensee, provided that the cancellation is not in lieu of an administrative enforcement action.

Existing law requires an applicant to have received a degree in naturopathic medicine from an approved naturopathic medical school, as specified. Existing law requires the board to approve a naturopathic medical school program that is accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) or another federally recognized accrediting body if the program meets specified admission and program requirements.

This bill would, instead, require the board to approve a program that is accredited by either the CNME or a substantially equivalent accreditor, or that is housed in an accredited institution and meets standards substantially equivalent to those required by CNME, if the program meets the above-described admission and program requirements and other specified requirements.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, makes it a crime to practice or hold oneself out as practicing medicine, as specified, without having a certificate to do so. Under existing law, providing services other than those specified is not a violation of that crime if the person providing those services discloses that they are not a licensed physician, among other things, and obtains a written acknowledgment from the client before providing those services.

The Naturopathic Doctors Act makes it a crime to claim to be a naturopathic doctor without a valid license under the act but does not restrict use of the title naturopath. The Naturopathic Doctors Act also does not limit activity otherwise allowed by law, including the practice of naturopathy, and authorizes an unlicensed person who engages in specified activities to represent that they practice naturopathy, if they comply with the above-described provisions of the Medical Practice Act.

This bill would revise and recast those provisions. Specifically, the bill would make it a crime to practice or hold oneself out as practicing naturopathic medicine, as specified, without having a license to do so. The bill would specify that engaging in activity that is otherwise allowed by law or using the title naturopath is a not a violation of this crime if the person complies with the above-described provisions of the Medical Practice Act and discloses they are not a naturopathic doctor, as provided. By establishing a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law defines naturopathic medicine and authorizes a naturopathic doctor to perform specific health care functions. Existing law authorizes a naturopathic doctor to dispense, administer, order, prescribe, and furnish or perform, among other things, repair and care incidental to superficial lacerations and abrasions, except suturing, and the removal of foreign bodies located in the superficial tissues.

This bill would, instead, authorize a naturopathic doctor to dispense, administer, order, prescribe, and furnish or perform minor office procedures, defined, in part, to mean care and operative procedures relative to lacerations, skin lesions, and abrasions, the incision and drainage of abscesses, and the trephination of subungual hematomas, among other specified procedures.

Existing law authorizes a naturopathic doctor to furnish or order drugs, including Schedule III to Schedule V, inclusive, controlled substances, under specified circumstances, including, among others, that the drugs are furnished or ordered under the supervision of a physician and surgeon and in accordance with standardized procedures or protocols developed by the naturopathic doctor and their supervising physician and surgeon and that the board has certified that the naturopathic doctor has completed coursework in pharmacology, as specified. Existing law authorizes a naturopathic doctor to independently prescribe and administer other specified drugs.

This bill would revise and recast the above-described authorizations to instead authorize a naturopathic doctor to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances pursuant to standardized procedures and under the supervision of a physician and surgeon, as specified, and to independently furnish, order, or prescribe any other drug or device except Schedule I controlled substances and any drug classes identified by the board by regulation, as specified. The bill would make conforming changes.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, prohibits use of any fictitious, false, or assumed name by a physician and surgeon or any doctor of podiatric medicine, as specified, in any public communication, advertisement, sign, or announcement of a practice without a fictitious-name permit. Existing law requires the Medical Board of California or the Division of Licensing to issue a fictitious-name permit if the applicant for the permit satisfies certain conditions, including having a name that includes specified designations.

This bill would prohibit the use of any fictitious, false, or assumed name by a naturopathic doctor, as specified, in any public communication, advertisement, sign, or announcement of a practice without a fictitious-name permit. The bill would require the California Board of Naturopathic Medicine to issue a fictitious-name permit if the applicant for the permit satisfies certain conditions. The bill would require the application fee for a fictitious name permit to be $100 and would require the renewal fee for a fictitious-name permit to be $50.

The Naturopathic Doctors Act authorizes the board to grant a license to an applicant who meets specified requirements, but who graduated before 1986, and passed a state or Canadian Province naturopathic licensing examination, as specified. The act requires that applications under this provision be received no later than December 31, 2007.

This bill would repeal those provisions.

Existing workers compensation law generally requires employers to secure the payment of workers compensation, including medical treatment, for injuries incurred by their employees that arise out of, or in the course of, employment. Existing law defines physician for this purpose to include, among others, physician and surgeons, acupuncturists, and chiropractic practitioners.

This bill would additionally define physician for purposes of workers compensation law to include naturopathic doctors.

Existing law provides for the issuance of a special license plate for disabled persons, as specified, and requires submission of a certificate substantiating the disability before issuing the plate. Existing law requires the certificate to be signed by a physician and surgeon, or, to the extent that it does not reduce federal aid highway funds, other specified health care providers.

This bill would additionally authorize naturopathic doctors to sign the above-described certificate to the extent it does not reduce federal aid highway funds and would make conforming changes.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Discussed in Hearing