Florida Naturopathic Physicians Association

Tallahassee, FL 26 June 2026 – Friday in Tallahassee, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed CS/SB 688. His veto keeps naturopathy, a holistic health profession, illegal in Florida as it has been since 1959.

CS/SB 688, which passed the Florida Legislature this March, removed the historic ban on the term “naturopathy,” which would have allowed naturopaths and traditional naturopaths to work in the state. It would have also reinstated licensure for naturopathic doctors (NDs) — those who qualify by completing a four-year naturopathic medical school and passing a national board exam — to practice naturopathic medicine under a limited scope of practice in Florida.

The bill would have marked a notable return for the state. In 1927, Florida was one of the first states in the nation to license naturopathic doctors. In 1959, the state stopped issuing new licenses for the profession, but kept the regulation in place. With the current statute in place, practicing naturopathy or naturopathic medicine has been a class-three felony in Florida, resulting in a near total ban on the profession. The Governor’s veto ensures that the ban on naturopathy remains in place.

Representative David Smith sponsored the bill in the House, and Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez carried it in the Senate. The bill passed the Senate with a 33-3 vote, and the House with a 85-22 vote.

Proponents of the bill believed it would address Florida’s growing physician shortage, remove historic regulation on natural medicine, provide greater freedom of choice in health care, and expand Floridians access to natural and alternative medicine practitioners. Many were hoping the passage of this bill would bring a big victory for health freedom. Instead, many recognize the veto as a step backwards.

Del Bigtree, Founder of the MAHA organization and longtime health freedom pioneer, said about the veto: “It’s crazy that with the MAHA mandate in DC, we still can’t decriminalize naturopathy in Florida. Natural medicine is a basic human right. We have so much work to do.”

In the letter explaining his veto, Governor DeSantis claims that licensed practitioners in other healthcare professions like physicians can use naturopathic methods – even if naturopaths and naturopathic doctors cannot work here.  He also claims that Floridians already have access to natural remedies, and that the bill will create additional regulation and bureaucracy.

Driving the effort was the Florida Naturopathic Physicians Association (FNPA), founded in 1935. FNPA President Todd Robinson said: “Governor DeSantis’s rationale for vetoing CS/SB 688 is confusing.  As Florida law stands after this veto, all activity related to naturopathy and naturopathic medicine remains both regulated and a felony as it has been since 1959.  This bill would have removed that barrier to accessing naturopathy and opened the marketplace.  It’s a baffling choice for a Governor who claims to support deregulation and health freedom.”

For more information on this issue, including a full Fact Sheet and additional Quote Sheet regarding the veto, visit the Florida Naturopathic Physicians Association website: https://fnpa.org/news. Please direct all media inquiries to Director@FNPA.org.

Date Posted: June 29, 2026