SB1303 - Naturopathic Doctors Act.

Enrolled August 31, 2026 Passed IN Senate August 30, 2026 Passed IN Assembly August 30, 2026 Amended IN Assembly August 26, 2026 Amended IN Assembly August 20, 2026 Amended IN Senate April 28, 2026 Amended IN Senate April 15, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 1303 Introduced by Senator Wahab February 20, 2026 An act to amend Sections 3621, 3623, 3643.5, 3644, 3680, and 3686 of, to add Sections 3636.1, 3638, 3660.5, and 3661.5 to, and to repeal Section 3633.1 of, the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1303, Wahab. Naturopathic Doctors Act. Existing law, the Naturopathic Doctors Act, which is repealed on January 1, 2027, establishes the California Board of Naturopathic Medicine within the Department of Consumer Affairs to license and regulate naturopathic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 doctor’s 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, 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. 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. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to work with stakeholders and the California Board of Naturopathic Medicine to evaluate opportunities to authorize naturopathic doctors to provide additional services to patients for which they are trained, educated, and qualified and that will expand access to safe, holistic, and preventive care for California’s consumers. SEC. 2. Section 3621 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 3621. (a) The board shall consist of nine members. Seven members shall be appointed by the Governor, one public member shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and one public member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. Members of the board shall include five members who are California-licensed naturopathic doctors, two members who are California-licensed physicians and surgeons, and two public members. (b) (1) A member of the board shall be appointed for a four-year term that shall expire four years after the date of the appointment. A person shall not serve as a member of the board for more than two consecutive terms. A member shall hold office until the appointment and qualification of the member’s successor, or until one year from the expiration of the term for which the member was appointed, whichever first occurs. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment for unexpired terms. (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), to ensure staggered terms, the terms for a member appointed by the Governor after the effective date of the act adding this subdivision shall be as follows: (A) Two members shall serve an initial term of two years. (B) Two members shall serve an initial term of three years. (C) Three members shall serve an initial term of four years. (D) Thereafter, all appointments shall be for four-year terms. (c) (1) A public member of the board shall be a resident of this state for at least five years preceding the public member’s appointment. (2) A person shall not be appointed as a public member if the person or the person’s immediate family in any manner owns an interest in a college, school, or institution engaged in naturopathic education, or the person or the person’s immediate family has an economic interest in naturopathy or has any other conflict of interest. “Immediate family” means the public member’s spouse, domestic partner, parents, children, or children’s spouses or domestic partners. (d) Each member of the board shall receive a per diem and expenses as provided in Section 103. (e) The board may appoint a person exempt from civil service who shall be designated as an executive officer and who shall exercise the powers and perform the duties delegated by the board and vested in the executive officer by this chapter. (f) Each appointing authority has power to remove from office at any time any member of the board appointed by that authority pursuant to Section 106. SEC. 3. Section 3623 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 3623. (a) The board shall approve a naturopathic medical education program that has the following minimum requirements: (1) Admission requirements that include a minimum of three-quarters of the credits required for a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited or preaccredited college or university or the equivalency, as determined by the council. (2) Program requirements for its degree or diploma of a minimum of 4,100 total hours in basic and clinical sciences, naturopathic philosophy, naturopathic modalities, and naturopathic medicine. Of the total requisite hours, not less than 2,500 hours shall consist of academic instruction, and not less than 1,200 hours shall consist of supervised clinical training approved by the naturopathic medical school. (3) The program is offered by an institution located in the United States or Canada. (4) The program offers a full-time, doctoral level, naturopathic medical education program with didactic and supervised clinical training with live patient encounters. A program offered entirely or primarily online shall not qualify. (5) The program’s graduates are eligible to apply to the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners that administers the naturopathic licensing examination and to the board for licensure. (6) The program meets either of the following criteria: (A) The program is accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) or another accreditor that is substantially equivalent to CNME, as determined by the board. (B) The program is housed in an institution that is accredited by an agency recognized by either the federal Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the program meets standards substantially equivalent to those required by CNME, including supervised clinical training and outcomes. (b) The naturopathic medical program shall evaluate an applicant’s education, training, and experience obtained in the armed services, pursuant to Section 35, and provide course credit where applicable. SEC. 4. Section 3633.1 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed. SEC. 5. Section 3636.1 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read: 3636.1. (a) The board may accept the voluntary cancellation of a naturopathic doctor’s license upon the written request of the licensee, provided that the cancellation is not in lieu of an administrative enforcement action. (b) A license that has been voluntarily canceled under this section shall be deemed surrendered and shall not be reinstated. A former licensee who wishes to resume practice shall be required to apply for a new license and meet all current requirements for licensure. (c) The board may adopt regulations as necessary to implement this section, including the process for submitting a written request for voluntary cancellation. SEC. 6. Section 3638 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read: 3638. (a) Any naturopathic doctor who as a sole proprietor, or in a partnership, group, or professional corporation, desires to practice under any name that would otherwise be a violation of Section 3661.5 may practice under that name if the proprietor, partnership, group, or corporation obtains and maintains in current status a fictitious-name permit issued by the board, under the provisions of this section. (b) The board shall issue a fictitious-name permit authorizing the holder thereof to use the name specified in the permit in connection with their practice if the division or the board finds to its satisfaction that: (1) The applicant or applicants or shareholders of the professional corporation hold valid and current licenses as naturopathic doctors. (2) The professional practice of the applicant or applicants is wholly owned and entirely controlled by one or more naturopathic doctors, except as otherwise permitted by law. (3) The name under which the applicant or applicants propose to practice is not deceptive, misleading, or confusing. (c) Each permit shall be accompanied by a notice that shall be displayed in a location readily visible to patients and staff. The notice shall be displayed at each place of business identified in the permit. (d) This section shall not apply to licensees who contract with, are employed by, or are on the staff of, any clinic licensed by the State Department of Health Care Services under Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1200) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code or any naturopathic medical education program approved by the board, or a faculty practice plan affiliated with that program. (e) Fictitious-name permits issued under this section shall be subject to renewal and shall expire concurrently with the license of the naturopathic doctor, unless otherwise specified by the board by regulation. (f) The board may revoke or suspend any permit issued if it finds that the holder or holders of the permit are not in compliance with the provisions of this section or any regulations adopted pursuant to this section. Proceedings to revoke or suspend a fictitious-name permit shall be conducted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). (g) A fictitious-name permit issued to any licensee in a sole practice is automatically revoked in the event the licensee’s certificate to practice naturopathic medicine is revoked. (h) The board may delegate to the executive officer, or to another official [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]