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Senate committee approves bill creating Arkansas State Board of Natural Medicine and licensure for naturopathic practitioners
Summary
Senate Bill 117 would merge acupuncture and naturopathic oversight into a renamed board, define scopes and restrict certain manipulations and drug administration language; the committee passed the measure as amended.
Senate Bill 117, which would create an Arkansas State Board of Natural Medicine by merging the acupuncture board and adding licensure for naturopathic practitioners (including scope definitions and limits), passed the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee after sponsor amendments and stakeholder comment.
Sponsor testimony described several clarifying amendments: defining electromagnetism (e.g., microcurrent or TENS devices), adding a definition of naturopathic physical medicine, removing the word “medications” from certain passages so the text refers to “therapeutic substances” rather than pharmaceutical drugs, and prohibiting grade‑5 manipulations (the “pop” associated with chiropractic adjustments). The proposal would rename the acupuncture board the Arkansas State Board of Natural Medicine and add naturopathic representation; supporters said acupuncture stakeholders agreed to the merger.
Witnesses raised questions about title protection and public confusion over abbreviations such as NMD and the ability to interpret laboratory results. Dr. Jahaz Shine, a licensed naturopathic physician who practices in Arizona, spoke in support and said licensure would protect patients from untrained practitioners and improve access to integrative care options.
After discussion and amendment, the committee voted to pass SB117 as amended; the transcript records no roll‑call tally in committee minutes but shows the sponsor moved the bill and the committee approved it by voice vote.
