Health Freedom Legislature | Health Freedom Action Massachusetts

Our Bill is Heard by the Joint Committee on Public Health

State House

On October 15, the public hearing took place virtually for our bill, H.2343/S.1380, An Act Providing for Consumer Access to and the Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Services.

With only 72 hours advance notice of the hearing, the bill garnered incredible support from the holistic health community. Qigong Master and State Representative Don Wong was the first to publicly support the bill. He was followed by 11 other individuals who provided strong personal testimony on why it is important – and necessary – to pass this bill. We believe dozens more added their voices to support the bill through written testimony. No one spoke in opposition to the bill.

We now look forward to hearing that the bill has been passed favorably out of committee when we can begin the next steps towards the bill’s passage.

Public Hearing Scheduled Your Testimony Needed!

Public Hearing Scheduled October 15, 2021

Your Testimony Needed!

The public hearing for H.2343/S.1380, An Act Providing for Consumer Access to and the Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Services has been scheduled for Friday, October 15, 2021.

We urgently need you to support this bill NOW by providing your testimony — both written and virtual — to pass this legislation and protect your access to the same quality and quantity of alternative health care you enjoy today!

You must register by Wednesday, October 13 if you wish to testify in-person at the virtual hearing.

Here are simple action steps that you can take to support this bill now:

Click on this link to voice your support for the bill with your legislators and with the Joint Committee on Public Health SUPPORT SAFE HARBOR
https://nationalhealthfreedomaction.salsalabs.org/supportmapractitionerexemptionbill
Register to testify via Zoom this Friday using the instructions below
Grant your permission to re-use testimony you prepared in 2019 to support this bill by contacting Carol Bedrosian at carol@spiritofchange.org
Provide written Testimony completing this form: https://forms.gle/7Q79AZKzSCmfoPMP9 or by emailing the committee at by emailing: JointCommittee.PublicHealth@malegislature.gov. Be sure to include your name and address; include “Testimony in Support of H.2343/S.1380“
Spread the work via email and social media to provide testimony and support this bill.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROVIDING TESTIMONY

Here are the State House instructions for providing that testimony now.

The Joint Committee on Public Health will conduct a virtual public hearing on Friday, October 15, 2021 beginning at 10:00 a.m. on bills relating to Professional Licensure and Scope of Practice; and Agencies.

Individuals testifying should limit their remarks to 3 minutes. All panels should limit their testimony to a total of 6 minutes.

Persons who wish to testify, submit written testimony, or both, may sign up and/or submit written testimony by completing this form: https://forms.gle/7Q79AZKzSCmfoPMP9

Persons who do not have a Google account or do not wish to use the Google form can submit testimony and/or sign up to testify by emailing: JointCommittee.PublicHealth@malegislature.gov

For those who have signed up to testify, Legislative Information Services will provide a link to join the public hearing. Persons planning to testify must sign up no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 13, 2021. Those who plan to submit only written testimony may do so before or after the sign-up deadline.

Those who do not plan to testify but want to watch the public hearing may view the live stream under the Hearings & Events section of the legislative website.

If you have any questions, you may email: Kathleen.Hornby@mahouse.gov and Brian.Rosman@masenate.gov

SAMPLE TALKING POINTS FOR YOUR TESTIMONY

The practice of complementary and alternative health care is not a protected right in Massachusetts.
This bill will affect over 100 unlicensed holistic healing modalities that require the protection of a practitioner exemption law to avoid potential charges of practicing medicine without a license. There is no risk of harm to the public from these healing modalities, and therefore no reason for them to become licensed, yet they should have the protection that H.2343/S.1380 “The Massachusetts Consumer Access and Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Act” provides.
Holistic health practices may be interpreted as the provision of health care service only a licensed professional may perform. This could subject practitioners to fine, penalties and restrictions, despite their methods not posing an imminent risk of harm to the public’s safety.
If passed, Massachusetts would join 11 other states in protecting the thousands of complementary and alternative practitioners such as herbalists, homeopaths, traditional naturopaths, Ayurveda practitioners, energy healers, wellness consultants, and many others who are practicing in Massachusetts.
This bill will protect and encourage compliant holistic health practitioners to provide services in Massachusetts, give consumers greater choice and education about their professionals, and provide the state with oversight and public protection through the establishment of prohibited acts in the bill.

Holistic Practitioner Protection Bill assigned to Committee on Public Health

An Act Providing for Consumer Access to and the Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Services has been assigned to the Joint Committee on Public Health for review.

Now known as S.1380 with a total of 13 sponsors in the Senate, and H.2343 with 22 sponsors in the House,

Seven of the Seventeen members of the Joint Committee are co-sponsors on the bill.

Next Steps – Educate and Prepare

Our next steps include educating members of the Joint Committee on Public Health about the compelling need for this legislation and preparing for the public hearing.

Our team of volunteers continues to schedule meetings with key legislators to help them to understand the bill and to address any questions they might have. You can assist in these efforts:

How you Can Help

Contact Committee Members in support of this legislation. A person-to-person contact such as a letter or phone call makes a more powerful impression. You may find yourself speaking with an aide, this is very effective. Find committee members’ contact information here: https://malegislature.gov/Committees/Detail/J16
Continue to Contact your Senator and Representative to register your support for this legislation. A personal letter or phone call is always best. If you have already contacted them use the committee assignment as a chance to check in with them a second time. Continued interest on your part is a powerful influence. Find your legislator here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
Pressed for time? If you don’t have time for that personal contact, please click here and you will be directed to an automated letter that will be generated on your behalf.

Expand our Efforts – Join our Mailing List

Help us Grow Support

As we continue to educate legislators about this act, we need the ability to reach out to supporters, like you, by legislative district. Sharing your mailing address allows us to notify you and request your support in targeted meetings with your senators and representatives.

You can share your address by clicking this link:
Sign Me Up!

Holistic Practitioner Protection Bill Gaining Sponsors and Traction!

Holistic Practitioner Protection Bill Gaining Sponsors and Traction!

Our bill, An Act Providing for Consumer Access to and the Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Services, has been filed in both the House and Senate.

Known as SD.1085 in the Senate and HD.1169 in the House, the legislation continues to garner support in both chambers. In addition to co-sponsors from the last legislative session we have a attracted a number of new ones.

John J. Lawn Jr refiled our bill in the House and is supported to date by Brian Ashe, John Barrett III, Christina Minicucci, Kay Khan, Bradford Hill, Christopher Hendricks, Brian Murray, Jack Patrick Lewis, Edward Coppinger, Patrick O’Connor, Natalie Higgins, Michael Moran, Joseph McGonagle, Jr., Jacob Oliveira and Jason Lewis.

On the Senate side, Nick Collins refiled our bill and is joined by co-sponsors Bradford Hill, Christopher Hendricks, John Barrett III, Joanne Comerford, Jack Patrick Lewis, Patrick O’ Connor, Brendan Crighton, Jason Lewis and Christina Minicucci.

Is your lawmaker supporting Health Freedom?

Senators and Representatives may continue to add their endorsement until the bills are reported out of committee.

If you don’t see your legislators listed above, please phone or email them and encourage them to co-sponsor this important act to ensure your continued ability to practice and access alternative health care modalities. Please ask both your senator and your representative to support this bill by calling or emailing today. To generate an automatic letter requesting that your legislators support this bill, CLICK HERE

Your Voice Counts

Hearing from voters is powerful in helping legislation gain traction. As we put plans in place to educate legislators about this act, we need the ability to reach out to supporters, like you, by legislative district. Sharing your mailing address allows us to notify you and request your support in targeted meetings with your senators and representatives. You can share your address by clicking THIS LINK

Onward Towards the Goal

Onward Towards the Goal

So much has changed with the global pandemic but our commitment to health freedom has not. 2019 and 2020 brought us encouragement that the Massachusetts state legislature stood with us as we filed bills in the House and Senate, secured bi-partisan co-sponsors for each bill and enjoyed strong support at the public hearing of the bill.

The bill, S.665/H.3660, The Massachusetts Consumer Access and Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Act enables complementary and alternative healthcare practitioners to continue providing services without restriction, provided they abide by defined prohibited acts and mandatory disclosures.

The bill was passed favorably out of the Joint Committee on Public Health and moved to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means – the last set before proceeding to the General Assembly for a vote – a just as COVID-19 shut down normal business operations.

With the State House taking up a burgeoning list of urgent needs related to the pandemic, this legislation was moved aside and was not addressed before the end of the legislative session.

Now, the bill has been filed again as SD.1085/ HD.1169 and will soon be filed in the Senate as well. We look forward to making this act a reality in this legislative session. Your continued support is important to us as move onward towards our goal to ensure that Massachusetts consumers are guaranteed their right to access and practice complementary and alternative healthcare services.

We Need Your Ongoing Support!

Massachusetts has formally introduced Senate Bill 665/House Bill 3660, a bill to protect access to complementary and alternative health care practitioners in Massachusetts. This is due to the direct efforts of the HFAMA Committee for Consumer Protection and Access to Complementary and Alternative Health Care.

What you can do: Start building a relationship with your Senate and House Representatives by sending a personal message of support for Senate Bill 665/House Bill 3660 to your legislators.

Follow up with a call to your legislators to leave a message reiterating your support of Senate Bill 665/House Bill 3660 and let them know why you support Senate Bill 665/House Bill 3660 . Find your legislators here.

Please join our hfama mailing list to be updated with our efforts and to be notified of specific times when we need you to contact your legislators.

And we can use your support through donations and volunteer efforts. Thank you!

Commitment!

Months of hard work paid off today at the State House as we secured commitments from both Senators and Representatives to file our bill. We garnered bipartisan support in the Senate as Sen. Nick Collins (D) agreed to sponsor our bill along with co-sponsors Sen. Michael Rodrigues (D) and Sen. Ryan Fattman (R). We also mustered support from both sides of the aisle in the House as Rep. John Lawn (D) pledged to file our bill supported by co-sponsors Rep. Don Wong (R) and Rep. Sean Garballey (D). There is still much to do in the days and weeks ahead to secure additional co-sponsors and to secure passage of our bill. But the work has begun and the commitment is strong in the Senate, the House and HFAMA.

Team with Rep. Lawn — Team with Sponsor, Representative John Lawn

The Protect and Access Team
January 10, 2019

Bill Draft Embed

Read our full bill text here.