Naturopathic Doctors Licensing Act introduced in North Carolina

The Naturopathic Doctors Licensing Act has been introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly.   Senate Bill 467 sponsored by Senators Fletcher Hartsell, (R-Cabarrus & Irdell), and Tom Apodaca, (R-Buncombe, Henderson, & Polk), and House Bill 847 sponsored by Representatives Jeff Barnhart, (R-Cabarrus),  Jeff Collins, (R-Nash), Tom Murry, (R-Wake), and Susan Fisher, (D-Buncombe) were introduced Thursday, March 31 and Thursday, April 7 respectively.  SB 467 and HB 847 prescribe a process for licensing doctors of naturopathic medicine in North Carolina. The legislation follows the national standards for licensure of naturopaths requiring college graduation with an emphasis in sciences, graduation from a four-year nationally accredited naturopathic medical school, and passage of a state or national licensing board exam.  Once licensed, doctors would have to complete yearly continuing educational credits to maintain a license.

The scope of practice as detailed in the legislation is specific and narrowly defined, allowing naturopathic doctors to diagnose and treat illness and use a variety of natural treatment modalities such as homeopathy, herbal therapies, nutritional supplements, diet, physical manipulation, light, heat and water.  However, these therapies are not exclusive to the practice of naturopathic medicine, and the provisions of the legislation are applicable only to naturopathic doctors. The purpose of the legislation is to provide standards for practitioners in North Carolina who practice as naturopathic doctors. 

Members of NCANP hopes the bills will move smoothly through the legislative process.  However, assistance from supporters of naturopathic medicine is welcome and needed.  Here is how you can help to get SB 467 or HB 847 enacted.  Call members of the legislative committees to which the bills have been assigned and ask legislators to support the Naturopathic Doctors Licensing Act.  Contact information for members of the Senate Committee on Health Care and the House Committee on Health and Human Services is recorded below. 

Senate Committee on Health Care - Membership (19)

Senator Stan Bingham (R) Co-Chairman 2117 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-2808 O:  (919) 733-5665 B:  (336) 859-0999 (Davidson, Guilford) E-mail: Stan.Bingham@ncleg.net Senator Harris Blake (R) Co-Chairman 408 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street  Raleigh, NC  27603-5925 O:  (919) 733-4809  B:  (910) 295-3613 (Harnett, Moore) E-mail: Harris.Blake@ncleg.net Senator Louis Pate (R) Co-Chairman 406 Legislative Office Building \ 300 N. Salisbury Street  Raleigh, NC  27603-5925 O:  (919) 733-5621  B:  (919) 658-3637 (Greene, Pitt,Wayne) E-mail: Louis.Pate@ncleg.net Senator Austin M. Allran (R) 625 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street  Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  (919) 733-5876 B:  (828) 322-1410  (Catawba, Iredell)  E-mail: Austin.Allran@ncleg.net Senator Bob Atwater (D) 519 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street  Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O: (919) 715-3036 B:  (919) 933-3937 (Chatham, Durham, Lee) E-mail: Bob.Atwater@ncleg.net Senator Doug Berger (D) 516 Legislative Office  Building 300 N. Salisbury Street  Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  (919) 715-8363 B:  (919) 556-0857  (Franklin, Granville, Vance, Warren) E-mail: Doug.Berger@ncleg.net

Senator Debbie Clary (R) 314 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street  Raleigh, NC  27603-5925 O:  (919)715-3038 B:  (704) 471-2022   (Cleveland, Rutherford) E-mail: Debbie.Clary@ncleg.net Senator Jim Davis (R) 2111 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-2808 O:  (919) 733-5875 B:  (828) 342-4483 (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania) E-mail: Jim.Davis@ncleg.net Senator James Forrester (R) 1028 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-2808 O:  (919) 715-3050 B:  (704) 263-4716 (Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln) E-mail: James.Forrester@ncleg.net Senator Ellie Kinnaird (D) 628 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street  Raleigh, NC 27601-2808 O:  (919) 733-5804 B:   (919) 918-3432 (Orange, Person) E-mail: Ellie.Kinnaird@ncleg.net Senator Eric Mansfield (D) 1119 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-2808 O:  (919) 733-9349 B:  (919) 323-9222 Ext. 232 (Cumberland) E-mail: Eric.Mansfield@ncleg.net Senator Wesley Meredith (R) 2105 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-2808 O:  (919) 733-5776 B:  (910) 867-9595 (Bladen, Cumberland) E-mail: Wesley.Meredith@ncleg.net

Senate Committee on Health Care - Membership (19)

Senator Bill Purcell (D) 517 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street  Raleigh, NC  27603-5925 O:  (919) 733-5953 H:  (910) 276-7328 (Anson, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly) E-mail: William.Purcell@ncleg.net Senator Bill Rabon (R) 2108 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-2808 O:  (919) 733-5963 B:  (910) 457-5110 (Brunswick, Columbus, Pender) E-mail: Bill.Rabon@ncleg.net Senator Gladys Robinson (D) 1120 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-2808 O:  (919) 715-3042 B:  (336) 274-1507 (Guilford) E-mail: Gladys.Robinson@ncleg.net

Senator  David Rouzer (R) 523 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street  Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O: (919)733-5748 B:  (919) 701-0037 (Johnston, Wayne) E-mail: David.Rouzer@ncleg.net Senator Bob Rucho (R) 300A Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street  Raleigh, NC  27603-5925 O:  (919) 733-5655 B:  (704) 847-3461 (Mecklenburg) E-mail: Bob.Rucho@ncleg.net Senator Tommy Tucker 311 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street  Raleigh, NC  27603-5925 O:  (919) 733-7659 B:  (704) 654-8410 (Mecklenburg, Union) E-mail: Tommy.Tucker@ncleg.net

House Health & Human Services Com. - Membership (26)

Rep. Justin P. Burr (R) (Chairperson) 538 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  919-733-5908     B: 704-983-4663 (Montgomery, Stanly, Union) E-mail: Justin.Burr@ncleg.net Rep. William A. Current, Sr. (R) (Chairperson) 418B Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O: (919) 733-5809 O: (704) 864-0337 (Gaston) E-mail: Bill.Current@ncleg.net Rep. Nelson Dollar, (R) (Chairperson) 307 B1 Legislative Office Building  300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  919-715-0795 B:  919-233-8399  (Wake) E-mail: Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net Rep. Mark Hollo (R ) (Chairperson) 633 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O: (919) 715-8351 O: (828) 632-1728 (Alexander, Catawba) E-mail: Mark.Hollo@ncleg.net Rep. Jeff  Barnhart (R)  304 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O: (919) 715-2009   O: (704-786-2012 (Cabarrus) E-mail: Jeff.Barnhart@ncleg.net Rep. William D. Brisson (D) 1325 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-1096 O:  919-733-5772     B: 910-862-7007 (Bladen, Cumberland ) E-mail: William.Brisson@ncleg.net Rep. Rayne Brown  (R ) 638 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O: (919) 715-0873 O: (336) 249-2608 (Davidson) E-mail: Rayne.Brown@ncleg.net

Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R) 541 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  919-733-5805 B:   828-879-8454 (Burke) E-mail: Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net Rep. Harold J. Brubaker (R) 302 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  919-715-4946 B:  336-629-5128  (Randolph) E-mail: Harold.Brubaker@ncleg.net Rep. Tricia Ann Cotham (D) 403 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O: (919) 715-0706   O: (704) 634-9400 (Mecklenburg) E-mail: Tricia.Cotham@ncleg.net Rep. James W. Crawford (D) 1321 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-2808 O:  919-733-5824     B: 252-492-0185 (Granville, Vance) E-mail: Jim.Crawford@ncleg.net Rep. Beverly Earle (D) 610 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O: (919) 715-2530   O: (704) 333-7180 (Mecklenburg) E-mail: Beverly.Earle@ncleg.net  Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield (D) 631D Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  919-733-5898 B:  252-237-1506 (Edgecombe, Wilson) E-mail: Jean.Farmer-Butterfield@ncleg.net Rep. Julia C. Howard (R) 1106 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-1096 O:  919-733-5904     B: 336-715-3538 (Davie, Iredell) E-mail: Julia.Howard@ncleg.net

House Health & Human Services Com. - Membership (26)

Rep. Pat Hurley (R) 532 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  919-733-5865     B: 336-625-9210 (Randolph) E-mail: Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net Rep. Verla Insko (D) 603 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  919-733-7208    H:  919-929-6115 (Orange) Email: Verla.Insko@ncleg.net  Rep. Darren G. Jackson (D) 1019 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-1096 O: 919-733-5974     B: 919-733-5974 (Wake) E-mail: Darren.Jackson@ncleg.net Rep. David R. Lewis (R) 534 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  919-715-3015     B:  910- 892-1671 (Harnett) E-mail:  David.Lewis@ncleg.net Rep. Tom Murry (R) 2121 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-1096 O:  919-733-5602     B:  336-865-9993 (Wake) E-mail:  Tom.Murry@ncleg.net Rep. Garland E. Pierce (D) 1204 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-1096 O: 919-733-5803     B: 910-369-2844 (Hoke, Robeson, Scotland) E-mail: Garland.Pierce@ncleg.net

Rep. Shirley R. Randleman  (R) 531 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  919-733-5935     B:  336-921-2043 (Wilkes) E-mail: Shirley.Randleman@ncleg.net Rep.  Ruth Samuelson  (R) 419B Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O: (919) 715-3009 O: 704- 336-8748 (Gaston) E-mail: Ruth.Samuelson@ncleg.net Rep. Fred F. Steen (R)  305 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O: 919- 733-5881   O: 704-857-0857 (Rowan) E-mail: Fred.Steen@ncleg.net Rep. William Wainwright (D) 613 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  919-733-5995    H:  252-447-7379 (Craven, Lenoir) Email: William.Wainwright@ncleg.net Rep. Jennifer Weiss (D) 1109 Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-1096 O: 919-715-3010     B: 919-715-3010 (Wake) E-mail: Jennifer.Weiss@ncleg.net Rep. Michael  H. Wray (D) 502 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 O:  919-733-5662    H:  252-535-3297 (Northampton, Vance, Warren) Email: Michael.Wray@ncleg.net