SB577 signed into law by Governor Davis!

SB577 signed into law by Governor Davis!

WE DID IT. With your help, the California legislature has now passed landmark health freedom legislation that guarantees health freedom not only for our state, but changes the health freedom climate nationwide.

Today is the day to pay a debt of gratitude to those who have worked hard for your freedom to use alternative health care and your right to practice alternative therapies. The CHFC still has over $65,000 in debts to pay. Please dig deep and send a contribution today to the CHFC to show your appreciation.

From our press release:

California has passed landmark health freedom legislation – Senate Bill 577. In fact, the bill passed the legislature without a single “no” vote.

Today, Senate Bill 577 was signed into law by Governor Davis. As he said when he signed the bill, SB 577 “will ease access to alternative and complementary health care options for all Californians.” He also stated that “the bill provides adequate safeguards for California consumers and enables them to make an informed choice regarding their personal health care.”

SB 577, authored by Senate Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco), provides that a person is not in violation of certain provisions of the Medical Practice Act (that prohibit the practice of medicine to anyone who is not a licensed physician) as long as that person does not engage in certain specified medical acts. It also requires specified disclosures to each client about practitioner training and method of treatment. Client receipt of disclosure materials must be acknowledged in writing.

The California Health Freedom Coalition (CHFC), sponsor of the Bill, expects that SB 577 will change and improve the culture of health care in California by enhancing access to alternative forms of health care. Since the law also requires unlicensed alternative and complementary health care practitioners to provide basic information to consumers about themselves, their training, and their work, it also serves to enhance consumer safety.

SB577 will become effective January 1, 2003.

SB577 PASSES THE ASSEMBLY!!!

Well, folks, we’ve done it. With your help, SB577 has now passed both the California Senate and the California Assembly! Celebrations are definitely in order!!

But we’re not quite done yet. First the bill must return to the Senate floor for a quick vote to OK the various amendments that were added by the Assembly health committee. Then it’s off to Governor Gray Davis for signature.

We anticipate that Governor Davis will have SB577 on his desk next week.

It’s not too late for those of you who haven’t already, to fax and call the Governor to ask for his signature on SB577. You will soon receive an email with all pertinent information in this last campaign.

We’re almost there folks! This is a historic moment for American health freedom rights. All of the state health freedom movements have their eyes on us in California. Minnesota passed in 2000, Rhode Island passed earlier this year, and with all of your help, California will be next!

Finally, please show your gratitude for all the hard work done to make SB577 a reality. Dig deep and send a contribution today to the CHFC. We still have over $70,000 in debts to pay! Your financial support is essential.

SB577 to pass through Assembly Health Committee

SB577 to pass through Assembly Health Committee.

As you all know, SB577 passed the Senate unanimously on January 22. We now begin our more difficult journey through the Assembly, starting with a vote by the Assembly’s Health Committee. A date has not yet been set, but the vote will most likely take place within the next two months.

  • Now is the time to contact your State Assembly representative. Your voice truly needs to be heard! Let them know that you are a constituent and that you want them to support SB577, California’s health freedom bill.
  • The CHFC needs your financial support. Our expenses have been mounting. Please make health freedom a priority and contribute as generously as you can.
  • Continue to encourage family, friends, and clients to visit this web site and show their support by signing up. It is particularly helpful if people give us their phone number so that we can call them when key votes come up. We especially need more contacts in Hispanic areas of Los Angeles where key Assembly representatives are located.

SB577 passes the state Senate by a vote of 33-0!

SB577 passes the state Senate by a vote of 33-0!
Next: the Assembly.

On Tuesday, January 22, SB577 won approval by the California State Senate
by a unanimous vote of all present: 33 to 0. Thanks to all of you who called your Senator.

Now comes the hard part.

SB577’s passage through the Assembly will be a MUCH tougher battle. The power of the California Medical Association is much more keenly felt in this body. We need your help now, both financially and personally.

a) The California Health Freedom Coalition needs your financial support
to complete its quest for health freedom in California. Please remember
that California is a trendsetter state — your contribution will help
win health freedom not only in our state, but all across America. Make checks payable to California Health Freedom Coalition or CHFC.

b) Please continue to encourage family, friends, and clients to visit this site and show their support. We especially need supporters in Hispanic areas of Los Angeles where we have few supporters and where key Assembly representatives are located. If you have links to the Hispanic alternative healing communities, please contact our office.

SB577 has passed its first committee!

SB577 has passed its first committee!
Next: the Senate floor — before the end of next week!

SB577 has passed its first hurdle — the Senate Business and Professions Committee. But our journey to health freedom for all Californians has only just begun.

Within the next 9 days (either on Thursday January 17, Tuesday January 22, or Thursday January 24) SB577 will come before the full Senate.

NOW is the time to call or fax your Senator.

By now you should have received an email from the CHFC with contact information for your Senator. Those of you who have provided us with your phone number will also be receiving a call over the next 2 days.

Please call or fax or at least write to your Senator immediately. And tell all of your friends and relatives to do so as well. Your voice makes a REAL difference. Calls to your Senator will give them the extra push they need to stand up for health freedom. Already the CMA has come out in opposition to SB577. We need your voice to be heard.

CHFC and SB577 are well-received at October 23 Senate hearing on alternative medicine

An October Success! We are starting to build momentum.

The CHFC made an excellent and well-received presentation of our bill, SB577, during a Senate Hearing on alternative medicine that took place on October 23 in Sacramento. CHFC secretary David Palmer first presented the overall rationale and approach behind SB577. Namely, that as long as a person does not perform a potentially dangerous medical procedure or harm anyone, he or she should not be considered to be practicing medicine without a license. In essence, SB577 will narrow the scope of the Medical Practice Act — which currently covers anything that anyone could possibly do to heal someone — to only those medical practices that are potentially dangerous. David’s presentation was followed by that of board member Amy Lansky, who described her son’s recovery from autism due to homeopathic treatment. Amy made a strong and stirring case for how alternative healing therapies are truly needed in California.

The October 23 hearing was called by Senator Liz Figueroa, chair of the Senate Business and Professions Committee — the committee that regulates medical practice in the state. She initiated the hearing because she has strong interest in complementary and alternative medicine and recognizes that there are currently problems surrounding this issue in California. During the hearing, testimony was given by various groups including: the naturopathic physicians who are seeking a licensing law for their form of practice; groups who are opposed to licensing approaches to alternative medicine; the CHFC; insurance industry representatives; and a few doctors who feel they have been unfairly prosecuted by the medical board because they use alternative methods.

The CHFC’s presentation fell in the middle of the day. Aptly placed, we felt that our simple position and commensense approach was well-received by virtually everyone. In addition to the over 1000 consumers who have demonstrated their support at our web site, we have now picked up explicit endorsements from the Ayurvedic practitioners, the Coalition for Natural Health, the California State Homeopathic Medical Society, the California Naturopathic Association, and the National Health Freedom Coalition.

October 23 was our public debut. Our next big step is having our bill heard by the Senate Business and Professions Committee, probably sometime in January or early February. With support form each of our members, we are optimistic that it will successfully be passed out of the committee!

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE CHFC!