Florida Lawmakers Revive Naturopathic Licensing After 66-Year Ban

Florida's Legislature has passed a bill that would license naturopathic doctors in the state for the first time since 1959 — a move that could open new healthcare options for Treasure Coast residents but has drawn sharp warnings from critics who call the practice scientifically unsupported.

For families in Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties — areas that routinely struggle to attract and retain primary care physicians — the bill offers a potential new tier of providers offering herb therapy, nutrition-based treatment, psychotherapy, and physiotherapy. Most insurance plans and Medicare do not cover naturopathic care, however, meaning patients would likely pay out of pocket. The legislation has not yet been sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The bill cleared the Senate 33-3 and passed the House 85-22, with opposition cutting across party lines. Three Senate Republicans voted against it. In the House, 18 of 25 Democrats present voted no, joined by four Republicans. The measure would create a state Board of Naturopathic Medicine within the Department of Health to license and oversee practitioners. Naturopathic physicians would be barred from prescribing drugs, performing surgery, administering anesthesia, or performing chiropractic or acupuncture procedures unless separately licensed in those fields.

Florida first licensed naturopaths in 1927 under the Medical Act of 1921 but abolished the licensing system in 1959. The last licensed naturopathic doctor in the state, Dr. Robert Geldner, died in 2010, leaving Florida with no licensed practitioners of the discipline. Twenty-four other states currently license naturopaths, including California, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.

Supporters contend that formal licensing will make naturopathy safer — not more dangerous — by establishing clear standards and bringing underground or unregulated practice into an accountable framework. Critics, including a Tallahassee attorney who has tracked alternative medicine licensure for two decades, testified before the Legislature that naturopathic treatments include homeopathic remedies that have never received FDA approval and argued that practitioners receive inadequate training to diagnose and treat serious diseases.

The bill would also reduce the penalty for practicing naturopathy without a license from a felony to a second-degree misdemeanor, a provision that drew criticism from some lawmakers.

If signed by the governor, the law would take effect Dec. 31. Treasure Coast residents who want to weigh in before a potential signing can contact the Governor's office directly. No public comment period before the governor is required under Florida law.

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