Hundreds of healers, patients and doctors oppose S.261 licensure plan, urge safe‑harbor and targeted trafficking responses

A broad coalition of alternative‑health practitioners, patients, physicians and legal advocates urged the Joint Committee to reject Senate Bill 261 — legislation that would create a new licensing framework covering dozens of energy‑, spiritual‑ and body‑based modalities.

Hundreds of individual witnesses and many advocacy groups testified in opposition at a hearing that stretched for hours. Practitioners said the proposal is too broad, would impose costly school and program approvals, require bonds and fees that would force small sole‑proprietors from the market, and would improperly place non‑touch, spiritual and energy modalities under a massage‑therapy styled board.

“Licensing this practice would be like using these principles, would be like regulating somebody’s prayer or…