We are thrilled to share there was a unanimous vote to pass LD 364 out of committee during a Joint HCI&FS committee work session yesterday, 4/17, afternoon! Now we need all legislators in both chambers to hear support for LD 364 from Mainers before the floor votes – which could take place as early as next week! Take Action here to thank committee members for their vote and ask your personal legislators to vote YES on LD 364 on the floor of the House and Senate.
Thank you to everyone who submitted testimony and made calls to committee members in support of LD 364, the Safe Harbor Exemption bill for Complementary and Alternative Health Practitioners! NHFA was so moved by the amazing public testimony in support of LD 364 (and against LD 1384) during the public hearing in this committee last week on April 11! The response to both bills was so impressive and inspiring; 81 testimony items for LD 364 and 51 testimony items for LD 1384. You can review all written testimony, including NHFA’s submission, here. Read other NHFA position papers on state regulation of practitioners, here.
Please help us succeed in passing into law LD 364, which we’ve been working with Safe Harbor Maine on since 2018! The few minutes you spend contacting legislators provides meaningful support to the women of this organization who are meeting with them in person in Augusta on behalf of your health freedom rights! Take Action here.
Under current law, thousands of diverse complementary and alternative health practitioners (such as homeopaths, herbalists, health coaches, and many others) are at risk of facing charges for the unlicensed practice of medicine – or another licensed health care profession – when they provide their services. This risk has a chilling effect on practitioner’s freedom to provide their services and results in restriction of choice and access for consumers.
LD 364, the wonderful “Safe Harbor” Practitioner Exemption Bill protects freedom of choice to utilize services provided by these practitioners by providing them a state exemption from criminal charges of practicing a licensed health care profession without a license as long as they avoid a list of prohibited acts (such as administering prescription drugs or puncturing the skin) and give out the proper disclosures listed in the bill. If LD 364 becomes law, practitioners will be able to provide their non-invasive complementary and alternative health services without fear of being charged with practice of medicine without a license. Read LD 364, here. Support LD 364!
Take Action here to email your legislators a message of support for LD 364 now and to thank the committee for their votes yesterday! Please take a moment to add a personal note to your letter as this will have a greater impact with the legislators. Start building a relationship with your personal Senate and House Representatives.
Call and visit your personal legislators in Augusta to tell them to pass LD 364. Leave a message with each office letting them know why you support LD 364. Tell them 10 states currently have exemption laws similar to LD 364 and you want Maine to have one too! They need to get phone calls, receive personalized letters, and see you at the State House. More about making calls, including contact info, is below and on the Take Action links too. Emails are not simply enough at this crucial time for health freedom!
Support Safe Harbor Maine, your local advocacy team. We need as many constituents (Mainers) as possible reaching out in support of LD 364 to convince legislators that this exemption bill is the best way to regulate complementary and alternative health care practitioners in Maine. This group is working closely with NHFA and is committed to providing the people of Maine with the options they deserve in pursuit of health and wellness. Please check out their website, add yourself to their contact list or join their FB group, and consider donating your time, talent, or other resources to support their efforts.
Use info here to contact your personal legislators.
“As your constituent I want you to know that I support LD 364, An Act to Establish the Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Act. LD 364 passed out of the Joint Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services on Wednesday, April 17 and is on it’s way to the Senate and House floor now and could come up for a vote soon.
