273 CMR 3.00 — Licensure of individual naturopathic doctors

273 CMR: BOARD OF REGISTRATION IN NATUROPATHY 273 CMR 3.00:LICENSURE OF INDIVIDUAL NATUROPATHIC DOCTORS Section 3.01: Purpose 3.02: General Licensure Requirements 3.03: Licensure Eligibility 3.04: License Application 3.05: License Renewal 3.06: Lapse of License 3.07: License Retirement 3.08: Applicant and Licensee Reporting of Status Changes

273 CMR 3.00 Licensure of individual naturopathic doctors

3.01 Purpose

3.01: Purpose 273 CMR 3.00 governs the licensure of naturopathic doctors in Massachusetts by establishing the eligibility requirements and administrative procedures for the issuance of licenses to qualified applicants and the renewal of such licenses.

3.02 General Licensure Requirements

3.02: General Licensure Requirements (1) No person shall engage in the practice of naturopathic health care, unless he or she holds a current license issued by the Board or unless one of the following exceptions applies: (a) the person holds a current license to practice a profession or occupation under any other law and is engaging in activities that are within the lawful scope of practice for the profession or occupation for which that person holds a license; (b) the person is employed by the United States government and is engaging in the practice of naturopathic health care in the performance of duties required for that employment; (c) the person is a student enrolled in an approved naturopathic medical college and is performing services under a course of instruction or assignments from and under the supervision of an instructor who is a licensed naturopathic doctor or a licensed professional in the field in which that professional is providing instruction; (d) the person is engaging in self-treatment or treatment of an immediate family member based on religious or health beliefs; (e) the person is providing information about vitamins and herbs that the person is selling; or (f) the person is recommending ayurvedic medicine, herbal remedies, nutritional advice, homeopathy or other therapy that is within the scope of naturopathic health care, provided, however, that the person shall not represent or assume the character or appearance of a person practicing naturopathic health care or using a name, title or designation that indicates or implies that the person is licensed to practice naturopathic health care. (2) No person shall represent himself or herself to be a licensed naturopathic doctor or use any words, letters, abbreviations, or insignia indicating or implying that he or she is a licensed naturopathic doctor, unless such person holds a current license issued by the Board. An unlicensed person shall not use any of the following titles: naturopathic physician, naturopathic practitioner, natural doctor, naturopathic doctor, doctor of naturopathy, doctor of natural medicine, doctor of naturopathic medicine, NMD, doctor of nutritional medicine, N.D., naturopathic medicine, naturopath or any other term that indicates or implies that the person is licensed to practice any form of naturopathic health care.

3.03 Licensure Eligibility

3.03: Licensure Eligibility (1) All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, of good moral character and possess a baccalaureate degree, or higher, from an accredited educational institution, or its equivalent, as determined by the Board. (2) Eligibility by Examination. Applicants for licensure by examination must: (a) Graduate from, and hold a doctor of naturopathic medicine or doctor of naturopathy degree from, a naturopathic education program that is either: 1.A Board-approved naturopathic medical college, provided that the applicant completed a minimum of 1200 hours of Board-approved clinical training before graduation, or (Mass. Register #1468 4/29/22)

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3.03 continued

3.03: continued 2. A four-year naturopathic doctoral program located outside the United States, provided that such program is substantially equivalent to programs that meet the requirements in 273 CMR 3.03(2)(a)1.; and (b)Successfully pass a competency-based national naturopathic licensing examination approved by the Board. (3)Eligibility without Examination. Applicants for licensure without examination must: (a) Have graduated before 1987 and earned a doctor of naturopathic medicine or doctor of naturopathy from a four-year, in-residence naturopathic college or program that had at the time of the applicant's graduation the state-sanctioned authority to confer such a degree, and (b) Demonstrate an ability to practice naturopathic health care by submitting each of the following:

1. Two letters of recommendation, which at least one shall be from a licensed N.D., M.D. or D.O.;
2. Curriculum vitae or other documentation acceptable to the Board that demonstrates at least part time practice for the past ten years in health care;
3. Documentation of completion of 50 hours of continuing education (CE) obtained during the past two years; and
4. Essay describing the applicant's scope of practice. (4) Eligibility by Reciprocity. Applicants for licensure by reciprocity must possess a license in good standing as a naturopathic doctor in another jurisdiction in the United States that the Board determines to have eligibility requirements substantially equivalent to the requirements in 273 CMR 3.03(1) and (2).

3.04 License Application

3.04: License Application (1) Eligibility by Examination. An applicant for an initial license as a naturopathic doctor by examination shall submit a complete and signed application on forms provided by the Board for that purpose, accompanied by the following documentation: (a) An authorization signed by the applicant, which authorizes the NABNE to release such information as the Board may deem necessary to verify that the applicant has passed the NPLEX; (b) An official transcript, or other official documentation, verifying that the applicant has graduated from a naturopathic education program that meets the requirements of 273 CMR 3.03(2)(a); (c) An official transcript, or other official documentation, verifying that the applicant holds a baccalaureate degree or higher that meets the requirements of 273 CMR 3.03(1); (d) Curriculum vitae; (e) An attestation, signed under pains and penalties of perjury, that the applicant has complied with all state tax laws and child support laws pursuant to M.G.L. c. 62C, § 49A; and (f) A valid form of payment made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the amount of any application and license fees, as determined by the Executive Office of Administration and Finance pursuant to M.G.L. c. 7, § 3B, unless waived in accordance with M.G.L. c. 112, § 1B. (2) Eligibility without Examination. An applicant for an initial license as a naturopathic doctor without examination shall submit a complete and signed application on forms provided by the Board for that purpose, accompanied by the following documentation: (a) An official transcript, or other official documentation, evidencing the applicant graduated before 1987 from a four-year, in-residence naturopathic doctoral program that had at the time of graduation been authorized by the state in which it was located to confer degrees of doctor in naturopathic medicine; (b) Curriculum vitae and naturopathy practice history; (c) An official transcript, or other official documentation, verifying that the applicant holds a baccalaureate degree or higher that meets the requirements of 273 CMR 3.03(1);

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3.04: continued (d) Documentation required by 273 CMR 3.03(3)(b); (e) An attestation, signed under pains and penalties of perjury, that the applicant has complied with all state tax laws and child support laws pursuant to M.G.L. c. 62C, § 49A; and (f) A valid form of payment made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the amount of any application and license fees, as determined by the Executive Office of Administration and Finance pursuant to M.G.L. c. 7, § 3B, unless waived in accordance with M.G.L. c. 112, § 1B. (3) Eligibility by Reciprocity. An applicant for a license as a naturopathic doctor by reciprocity, shall submit a complete and signed application on forms provided by the Board for that purpose, accompanied by the following documentation: (a) A letter of good standing from the jurisdiction in which the applicant is licensed; (b) An authorization signed by the applicant, which authorizes the NABNE to release such information as the Board may deem necessary to verify that the applicant has passed the NPLEX; (c) An official transcript, or other official documentation, verifying that the applicant has graduated from a naturopathic education program that meets the requirements of 273 CMR 3.03(2)(a); (d) An official transcript, or other official documentation, verifying that the applicant holds a baccalaureate degree or higher that meets the requirements of 273 CMR 3.03(1); (e) Curriculum vitae; (f) An attestation, signed under pains and penalties of perjury, that the applicant has complied with all state tax laws and child support laws pursuant to M.G.L. c. 62C, § 49A; and (g) A valid form of payment made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the amount of any application and license fees, as determined by the Executive Office of Administration and Finance pursuant to M.G.L. c. 7, § 3B, unless waived in accordance with M.G.L. c. 112, § 1B. (4) All fees submitted in conjunction with an application for a license are nonrefundable and nontransferable.

3.05 License Renewal

3.05: License Renewal (1) Each naturopathic doctor shall renew his or her license on or before November 30 of every th odd-numbered calendar year. A naturopathic doctor who fails to renew his or her license before the expiration date shall not be authorized to practice until he or she renews his or her license. Such licensee may be subject to disciplinary action by the Board. (2) An application for license renewal shall be made on forms provided by the Board for that purpose. The licensee shall submit a complete and signed renewal application accompanied by a valid form of payment made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the amount of any application and license fees, as determined by the Executive Office of Administration and Finance pursuant to M.G.L. c. 7, § 3B, unless waived in accordance with M.G.L. c. 112, § 1B. (3) A licensee shall complete at least 50 hours of CEs consistent with 273 CMR 6.00 in the 24 months immediately preceding November 30 in odd-numbered years prior to renewing a th license. The completion of continuing education is a condition precedent to renewing a license.

3.06 Lapse of License

3.06: Lapse of License (1) If a licensee allows a license to lapse, but submits an application for license renewal within two years such license expired, such license may be reinstated upon submission of: (a) A complete and signed application for license renewal, as set forth in 273 CMR 3.05; (b) Verification of 50 CEs obtained consistent with 273 CMR 6.00 and CMR 3.05(3); (c) Payment of the renewal fee and a late fee as set by the Executive Office of Administration and Finance pursuant to M.G.L. c. 7, § 3B, unless waived in accordance with M.G.L. c. 112, § 1B.

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3.06: continued (2) If a licensee allows a license to lapse, and does not attempt to renew it within two years of its expiration date, such license may only be reinstated upon submission of: (a) A completed application for license renewal, as set forth in 273 CMR 3.05; (b) Verification of completed CEs obtained consistent with 273 CMR 6.00 and equal to the requirements for the number of renewal cycles in which such license was expired; (c) A current curriculum vitae; and (d) Payment of the renewal fee and a late fee as set by the Executive Office of Administration and Finance pursuant to M.G.L. c. 7, § 3B, unless waived in accordance with M.G.L. c. 112, § 1B.

3.07 License Retirement

3.07: License Retirement (1) A licensee who meets the eligibility requirements in 273 CMR 3.07(2) may submit a petition to the Board to request that his or her license be placed on retired status. A retired status is a non-disciplinary license status under which a licensee shall not practice naturopathic health care. The Board may review any petition for reinstatement or return to current status from any licensee whose status has been changed to retired status. (2) A licensee will be eligible to submit a petition for retired status, if her or she: (a) Has a license that is not surrendered, suspended, revoked or otherwise the subject of disciplinary conditions at the time of the petition; and (b) Demonstrates that he or she intends to permanently retire from active practice in the Commonwealth and in all other jurisdictions. (3) A licensee with a retired status may not practice naturopathic health care. (4) Nothing in this section shall prevent the Board from initiating, pursuing or taking a disciplinary action against a licensee whose license is in retired status, including an action that imposes discipline or changes the license status from retired to revoked or suspended, if the Board determines that such action is in the best interests of public health, safety or welfare.

3.08 Applicant and Licensee Reporting of Status Changes

3.08: Applicant and Licensee Reporting of Status Changes It is the responsibility of the applicant or licensee to notify the Board in writing of any of the following events within 30 days of their occurrence, unless sooner required under CMR 4.03(3): (1) Any change in the address of record; (2) Any change of name; or (3) The permanent departure from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. REGULATORY AUTHORITY 273 CMR 3.00: M.G.L. c. 112, §§ 266-274; St. 2016, c. 400, §§ 2 & 3.