AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 20, 2026
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 28, 2026
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 15, 2026
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
96
Introduced by Senator Wahab
February 20, 2026
An act to amend Sections 3621, 3623, 3640, 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 Sections 3633.1 and 3640.7 of, and to repeal and add Section 3640.5 of, the Business and Professions Code,
to amend Section 11150 of the Health and Safety Code, to amend Section 3209.3 of the Labor Code, and to amend Section 5007 of the Vehicle Code, relating to healing arts.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: yes
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
Existing law, the Naturopathic Doctors Act, which is repealed on January 1, 2027, establishes the California Board of Naturopathic Medicine within the Department of Consumer Affairs to license and regulate naturopathic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 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.
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 accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education or an equivalent federally recognized accrediting body for the naturopathic medical profession 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.
(c) To qualify as an approved naturopathic medical school, a naturopathic medical program located in Canada or the United States shall offer a full-time, doctoral-level, naturopathic medical education program with its graduates being eligible to apply to the board for licensure and to the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners that administers the naturopathic licensing examination.
(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. 3.SEC. 4.
Section 3633.1 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.
SEC. 4.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. 5.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 of the board, its authority to review and approve applications for fictitious-name permits and to issue those permits.
(i) The board shall adopt and administer regulations to implement this section, including, but not limited to, specifying appropriate naturopathic medical name designations and standards to ensure that the public is not misled regarding the nature of services provided.
SEC. 7.
Section 3640 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:
3640.
(a) A naturopathic doctor may order and perform physical and laboratory examinations for diagnostic purposes, including, but not limited to, phlebotomy, clinical laboratory tests, speculum examinations, orificial examinations, and physiological function tests.
(b) A naturopathic doctor may order diagnostic imaging studies, including X-ray, ultrasound, mammogram, bone densitometry, and others, consistent with naturopathic training as determined by the board, but shall refer the studies to an appropriately licensed health care professional to conduct the study and interpret the results.
(c) A naturopathic doctor may dispense, administer, order, prescribe, and furnish or perform the following:
(1) Food, extracts of food, nutraceuticals, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, enzymes, botanicals and their extracts, botanical medicines, homeopathic medicines, all dietary supplements, and nonprescription drugs as defined by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Sec. 301 et seq.) consistent with the routes of administration identified in subdivision (d).
(2) Hot or cold hydrotherapy; naturopathic physical medicine inclusive of the manual use of massage, stretching, resistance, or joint play examination but exclusive of small amplitude movement at or beyond the end range of normal joint motion; electromagnetic energy; colon hydrotherapy; and therapeutic exercise.
(3) Devices, including, but not limited to, therapeutic devices, barrier contraception, and durable medical equipment.
(4) Health education and health counseling.
(6) Removal of foreign bodies located in the superficial tissues.
(5) Minor office procedures, including the following:
(A) Care and operative procedures relative to lacerations, skin lesions, and abrasions.
(B) Incision and drainage of abscesses.
(C) Trephination of subungual hematomas.
(D) Removal of foreign bodies.
(E) Topical and parenteral use of local anesthetic solutions, their adjuncts, and diluents.
(F) Obtaining samples of superficial human tissue by means of biopsy, consistent with the practice of naturopathic medicine.
(d) A naturopathic doctor may utilize the following routes of administration that include oral, nasal, auricular, ocular, rectal, vaginal, transdermal, intradermal, subcutaneous, intravenous, and intramuscular. administration:
(1) Oral.
(2) Nasal.
(3) Auricular.
(4) Ocular.
(5) Rectal.
(6) Vaginal.
(7) Transdermal.
(8) Intradermal.
(9) Subcutaneous.
(10) Intravenous.
(11) Intramuscular.
(e) The board may establish regulations regarding ocular or intravenous routes of administration that are
consistent with the education and training of a naturopathic doctor.
(f) Nothing in this section shall This section does not exempt a naturopathic doctor from meeting applicable licensure requirements for the performance of clinical laboratory tests, including the requirements imposed under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section
1200). tests.
SEC. 8.
Section 3640.5 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.
Nothing in this chapter or any other law shall be construed to prohibit a naturopathic doctor from furnishing or ordering drugs when all of the following apply:
(a) The drugs are furnished or ordered by a naturopathic doctor in accordance with standardized procedures or protocols developed by the naturopathic doctor and their supervising physician and surgeon.
(b) The naturopathic doctor is functioning pursuant to standardized procedure, as defined by subdivisions (a), (b), (d), (e), (h), and (i) of Section 2836.1 and paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 2836.1, or protocol. The standardized procedure or protocol shall be developed and approved by the supervising physician and surgeon, the naturopathic doctor, and, where applicable, the facility administrator or their designee.
(c) The standardized procedure or protocol covering the furnishing of drugs shall specify which naturopathic doctors may furnish or order drugs, which drugs may be furnished or ordered under what circumstances, the extent of physician and surgeon supervision, the method of periodic review of the naturopathic doctor’s competence, including peer review, and review of the standardized procedure.
(d) The furnishing or ordering of drugs by a naturopathic doctor occurs under physician and surgeon supervision. Physician and surgeon supervision shall not be construed to require the physical presence of the physician, but does include all of the following:
(1) Collaboration on the development of the standardized procedure.
(2) Approval of the standardized procedure.
(3) Availability by telephonic contact at the time of patient examination by the naturopathic doctor.
(e) For purposes of this section, a physician and surgeon shall not supervise more than four naturopathic doctors at one time.
(f) Drugs furnished or ordered by a naturopathic doctor may include Schedule III through Schedule V controlled substances under the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code) and shall be further limited to those drugs agreed upon by the naturopathic doctor and physician and surgeon as specified in the standardized procedure. When Schedule III controlled substances, as defined in Section 11056 of the Health and Safety Code, are furnished or ordered by a naturopathic doctor, the controlled substances shall be furnished or ordered in accordance with a patient-specific protocol approved by the treating or supervising physician. A copy of the section of the naturopathic doctor’s standardized procedure relating to controlled substances shall be provided upon request, to a licensed pharmacist who dispenses drugs, when there is uncertainty about the naturopathic doctor furnishing the order.
(g) The board has certified that the naturopathic doctor has satisfactorily completed adequate coursework in pharmacology covering the drugs to be furnished or ordered under this section. The board shall establish the requirements for satisfactory completion of this subdivision.
(h) Use of the term “furnishing” in this section, in health facilities defined in subdivisions (b), (c), (d), (e), and (i) of Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code, shall include both of the following:
(1) Ordering a drug in accordance with the standardized procedure.
(2) Transmitting an order of a supervising physician and surgeon.
(i) For purposes of this section, “drug order” or “order” means an order for medication which is dispensed to or for an ultimate user, issued by a naturopathic doctor as an individual practitioner, within the meaning of Section 1306.02 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(j) Notwithstanding any other law, the following apply:
(1) A drug order issued pursuant to this section shall be treated in the same manner as a prescription of the supervising physician.
(2) All references to prescription in this code and the Health and Safety Code shall include drug orders issued by naturopathic doctors.
(3) The signature of a naturopathic doctor on a drug order issued in accordance with this section shall be deemed to be the signature of a prescriber for purposes of this code and the Health and Safety Code.
SEC. 9.
Section 3640.5 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:
3640.5.
(a) For purposes of this code and the Health and Safety Code, the following shall apply:
(1) “Drug order” includes an order for medication issued by a naturopathic doctor to or for an ultimate user.
(2) A drug order issued by a naturopathic doctor shall be treated in the same manner as a prescription.
(3) The signature of a naturopathic doctor on a drug order or a prescription shall be deemed to be the signature of a prescriber.
(b) A naturopathic doctor may independently furnish, order, or prescribe any drug or device that is not any of the following:
(1) A Schedule I controlled substance under the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code).
(2) A Schedule II controlled substance California Uniform Controlled Substances Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code), except as authorized in subdivision (c).
(3) Listed on the exclusionary drug formulary adopted by the board pursuant to subdivision (f).
(c) A naturopathic doctor may furnish, order, or prescribe a Schedule II controlled substance only pursuant to standardized procedures or protocols developed jointly with, and approved by, a supervising physician and surgeon. The standardized procedures and protocols shall include patient-specific authorization. The physical presence of the supervising physician and surgeon is not required but the physician and surgeon shall be available by telephonic or electronic contact at the time of the patient examination.
(d) A naturopathic doctor issuing a drug order or prescription for any controlled substance shall hold a valid federal Drug Enforcement Administration registration and shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System.
(e) A naturopathic doctor shall not furnish, order, or prescribe any drug unless the board has certified that the naturopathic doctor has satisfactorily completed pharmacology coursework covering the drugs authorized under this section. The board shall establish the requirements for satisfactory completion by regulation.
(f) (1) The board shall adopt by regulation an exclusionary drug formulary identifying drug classes that a naturopathic doctor shall not independently furnish, order, or prescribe pursuant to this chapter.
(2) The exclusionary drug formulary shall, at minimum, exclude:
(A) Chemotherapeutic agents, including, but not limited to, cytotoxic drugs, targeted biologics, and immunotherapies.
(B) Antipsychotic medications and mood stabilizers.
(C) Immunosuppresants, including calcineurin inhibitors and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.
(D) Antiarrhythmics and intravenous vasodilators or inotropes.
(E) General anesthetics and neuromuscular blockers.
(3) The board shall review and update the exclusionary drug formulary on a regular basis to reflect changes in clinical practice, education, and patient safety standards.
(g) This section does not limit the authority of a naturopathic doctor under Section 3640 to administer or prescribe natural substances, natural and synthetic hormones, or epinephrine for anaphylaxis unless explicitly excluded by the formulary adopted pursuant to subdivision (f) or otherwise prohibited by law.
SEC. 10.
Section 3640.7 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.
Notwithstanding the requirements of Section 3640.5 or any other provision of this chapter, a naturopathic doctor may independently prescribe and administer the following:
(a) Epinephrine to treat anaphylaxis.
(b) Natural and synthetic hormones.
(c) Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, glutathione, botanicals and their extracts, homeopathic medicines, electrolytes, sugars, and diluents that may be administered utilizing routes of administration, pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 3640, only when such substances are chemically identical to those for sale without a prescription.
SEC. 11.
Section 3643.5 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:
3643.5.
(a)This chapter may not be construed to limit the practice of a person licensed, certified, or registered under any other provision of law relating to the healing arts when the person is engaged in his or her their authorized and licensed practice.
SEC. 12.
Section 3644 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:
3644.
This chapter does not prevent or restrict the practice, services, or activities of any of the following:
(a) A person licensed, certified, or otherwise recognized in this state by any other law or regulation if that person is engaged in the profession or occupation for which they are licensed, certified, or otherwise recognized.
(b) A person employed by the federal government in the practice of naturopathic medicine while the person is engaged in the performance of duties prescribed by laws and regulations of the United States.
(c) A person rendering aid to a family member or in an emergency, if no fee or other consideration for the service is charged, received, expected, or contemplated.
(d) (1)A person who makes recommendations regarding or is engaged in the sale of food, extracts of food, nutraceuticals, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, enzymes, botanicals and their extracts, botanical medicines, homeopathic medicines, dietary supplements, and nonprescription drugs or other products of nature, the sale of which is not otherwise prohibited under state or federal law.
(e) A person engaged in good faith in the practice of the religious tenets of any church or religious belief without using prescription drugs.
(f) A person acting in good faith for religious reasons as a matter of conscience or based on a personal belief, while obtaining or providing information regarding health care and the use of any product described in subdivision (d).
(g) A person who provides the following recommendations regarding the human body and its function:
(1) Nonprescription products.
(2) Natural elements such as air, heat, water, and light.
(3) Class I or class II nonprescription, approved medical devices, as defined in Section 360c of Title 21 of the United States Code.
(4) Vitamins, minerals, herbs, homeopathics, natural food products and their extracts, and nutritional supplements.
(h) A person who is licensed in another state, territory, or the District of Columbia to practice naturopathic medicine if the person is incidentally called into this state for consultation with a naturopathic doctor.
(i) A student enrolled in an approved naturopathic medical program whose services are performed pursuant to a course of instruction under the supervision of a naturopathic doctor.
SEC. 13.
Section 3660.5 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:
3660.5.
(a) (1) Notwithstanding Section 146, any person who practices or attempts to practice, or who advertises or holds themself out as practicing naturopathic medicine for the treatment of the sick or afflicted in this state, or who diagnoses, treats, or prescribes for any ailment, blemish, deformity, disease, disfigurement, disorder, injury, or other physical or mental condition of any person, without having at the time of so doing a valid, unrevoked, or unsuspended certificate as provided in this chapter or without being authorized to perform the act pursuant to a certificate obtained in accordance with some other provision of law is guilty of a public offense, punishable by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code, by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both the fine and either imprisonment.
(2) Any person who conspires with or aids or abets another to commit any act described in paragraph (1) is guilty of a public offense, subject to the punishment described in that paragraph.
(3) The remedy provided in this subdivision shall not preclude any other remedy provided by law.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law, a person who engages in activity that does not require licensure or is otherwise allowed by law, including the practice of naturopathy, or who uses a title in compliance with Section 3645 shall not be in violation of subdivision (a) if that person does all of the following:
(1) Complies with Section 2053.5.
(2) Discloses in all advertisements that they are not licensed by the state as a naturopathic doctor.
(3) Provides a prospective client, before providing services, a statement written in plain language that complies with Section 2053.6 and discloses that the person is not a licensed naturopathic doctor.
(4) Obtains a written acknowledgment, provided in a language preferred by the client, stating that the client has been provided with the information required by paragraph (3). The client shall be provided with a copy of the written acknowledgment and the written acknowledgment shall be maintained by the person for three years.
SEC. 6.SEC. 14.
Section 3661.5 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:
3661.5.
The use of any fictitious, false, or assumed name, or any name other than their own by a licensee either alone, in conjunction with a partnership or group, or as the name of a professional corporation, in any public communication, advertisement, sign, or announcement of their practice without a fictitious-name permit obtained pursuant to Section 3638 constitutes unprofessional conduct. This section shall not apply to either of the following:
(a) Licensees who are employed by a partnership, a group, or a professional corporation that holds a fictitious name permit.
(b) 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.
SEC. 7.SEC. 15.
Section 3680 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:
3680.
(a) The application fee for a doctor of naturopathic medicine shall be no more than five hundred dollars ($500) and may be increased to not more than six hundred dollars ($600).
(b) The initial license fee shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000) and may be increased to not more than one thousand two hundred dollars ($1,200).
(c) (1) The renewal fee for an active license shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000) and may be increased to not more than one thousand two hundred dollars ($1,200).
(2) The renewal fee for an inactive license shall be one-half of the current renewal fee for an active license.
(d) The late renewal fee for a license shall be two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225).
(e) The fee for processing fingerprint cards shall be the current fee charged by the Department of Justice.
(f) The fee for a duplicate or replacement license shall be thirty-eight dollars ($38).
(g) The fee for a certified license verification shall be thirty dollars ($30).
(h) The application fee for a fictitious name permit shall be one hundred dollars ($100).
(i) The renewal fee for a fictitious name permit shall be fifty dollars ($50).
SEC. 8.SEC. 16.
Section 3686 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:
3686.
This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2031, and as of that date is repealed.
SEC. 17.
Section 11150 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
11150.
No person other than a physician, dentist, podiatrist, or veterinarian, or naturopathic doctor acting pursuant to within the scope of Section 3640.7 3640.5 of the Business and Professions Code, or pharmacist acting within the scope of a project authorized under Article 1 (commencing with Section 128125) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 107 or within the scope of Section 4052.1, 4052.2,
or 4052.6 of the Business and Professions Code, a registered nurse acting within the scope of a project authorized under Article 1 (commencing with Section 128125) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 107, a certified nurse-midwife acting within the scope of Section 2746.51 of the Business and Professions Code, a nurse practitioner acting within the scope of Section 2836.1 of the Business and Professions Code, a physician assistant acting within the scope of a project authorized under Article 1 (commencing with Section 128125) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 107 or Section 3502.1 of the Business and Professions Code, a naturopathic doctor acting within the scope of Section 3640.5 of the Business and Professions Code, or an optometrist acting within the scope of Section 3041 of the Business and Professions Code, or an out-of-state prescriber acting pursuant to Section 4005 of the Business and Professions Code shall write or
issue a prescription.
SEC. 18.
Section 3209.3 of the Labor Code is amended to read:
3209.3.
(a) “Physician” includes physicians and surgeons holding an M.D. or D.O. degree, naturopathic doctors, psychologists, acupuncturists, optometrists, dentists, podiatrists, and chiropractic practitioners licensed by California state law and within the scope of their practice as defined by California state law.
(b) “Psychologist” means a licensed psychologist with a doctoral degree in psychology, or a doctoral degree deemed equivalent for licensure by the Board of Psychology pursuant to Section 2914 of the Business and Professions Code, and who either has at least two years of clinical experience in a recognized health setting or has met the standards of the National Register of the Health Service Providers in Psychology.
(c) When treatment or evaluation for an injury is provided by a psychologist, provision shall be made for appropriate medical collaboration when requested by the employer or the insurer.
(d) “Acupuncturist” means a person who holds an acupuncturist’s certificate issued pursuant to Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 4925) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.
(e) Nothing in this This section shall not be construed to authorize acupuncturists to
determine disability for the purposes of Article 3 (commencing with Section 4650) of Chapter 2 of Part 2, or under Section 2708 of the Unemployment Insurance Code.
SEC. 19.
Section 5007 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
5007.
(a) The department shall, upon application and without additional fees, issue a special license plate or plates pursuant to procedures adopted by the department to all of the following:
(1) A disabled person.
(2) A disabled veteran.
(3) An organization or agency involved in the transportation of disabled persons or disabled veterans if the motor vehicle that will have the special license plate is used solely for the purpose of transporting those persons.
(b) The special license plates issued under subdivision (a) shall run in a regular numerical series that shall include one or more unique two-letter codes reserved for disabled person license plates or disabled veteran license plates. The International Symbol of Access adopted pursuant to Section 3 of Public Law 100-641, commonly known as the “wheelchair symbol” shall be depicted on each plate.
(c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), before issuing a special license plate to a disabled person or disabled veteran, the department shall require the submission of a certificate, in accordance with paragraph (2), signed by the physician and surgeon, or to the extent that it does not cause a reduction in the receipt of federal aid highway funds, by a naturopathic doctor, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant, substantiating the disability, unless the applicant’s disability is readily observable and uncontested. The disability of a person who has lost, or has lost the use of, one or more lower extremities or one hand, for a disabled veteran, or both hands for a disabled person, or who has significant limitation in the use of lower extremities, may also be certified by a licensed chiropractor. The disability of a person related to the foot or ankle may be certified by a licensed podiatrist. The blindness of an applicant shall be certified by a licensed physician and surgeon who specializes in diseases of the eye or a licensed optometrist. The physician and surgeon, naturopathic doctor, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, physician assistant, chiropractor, or optometrist certifying the qualifying disability shall provide a full description of the illness or disability on the form submitted to the department.
(2) The physician and surgeon, naturopathic doctor, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, physician assistant, chiropractor, podiatrist, or optometrist who signs a certificate submitted under this subdivision shall retain information sufficient to substantiate that certificate and, upon request of the department, shall make that information available for inspection by the Medical Board of California or the appropriate regulatory board.
(3) For a disabled veteran, the department shall accept, in lieu of the certificate described in paragraph (1), a certificate from a county veterans service officer, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs that certifies that the applicant is a disabled veteran as described in Section 295.7.
(d) A disabled person or disabled veteran who is issued a license plate or plates under this section shall, upon request, present to a peace officer, or person authorized to enforce parking laws, ordinances, or regulations, a certification form that substantiates the eligibility of the disabled person or veteran to possess the plate or plates. The certification shall be on a form prescribed by the department and contain the name of the disabled person or disabled veteran to whom the plate or plates were issued, and the name, address, and telephone number of the medical professional described in subdivision (c) who certified the eligibility of the person or veteran for the plate or plates.
(e) The certification requirements of subdivisions (c) and (d) do not apply to an organization or agency that is issued a special license plate or plates under paragraph (3) of subdivision (a).
(f) The special license plate shall, upon the death of the disabled person or disabled veteran, be returned to the department within 60 days or upon the expiration of the vehicle registration, whichever occurs first.
(g) When a motor vehicle subject to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) is sold or transferred, the special license plate or plates issued to an organization or agency under paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) for that motor vehicle shall be immediately returned to the department.
(h) The department shall require a person who applies for a special license plate pursuant to this section to provide proof of the applicant’s true full name and date of birth that shall be established by submitting one of the following to the department:
(1) A copy or facsimile of the applicant’s state issued driver’s license or identification card.
(2) A copy or facsimile of the document required for an applicant for a driver’s license or identification card to establish the applicant’s true full name.
(3) An applicant unable to establish legal presence in the United States may fulfill the true full name and date of birth requirement by providing the department a copy or facsimile of the documents used to establish identity pursuant to Section 12801.9.
SEC. 20.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution.