Allow Maryland Citizens to Choose Their Own Manner of Health Care. Stop SB 817 and HB 1156.

The Issue

Protect the right to practice and receive Natural Healing Therapies in Maryland. Senate Bill 817 and HB 1156 aims to punish those practicing alternative and complementary healing in Maryland. 

Time is critical. SB 817 goes to hearing on February 20, 2014 at 1:00 PM EST. 
HB 1156 goes to hearing on March 5, 2014 at 1:00 PM EST. 

Your immediate action is the only thing that will stop this bill!

If you are in Marylandit is critical that you write your representatives directly, more importantly, anyone that can should attend the hearing to support eliminating the bill or replacing it with one that protects the rights of practitioners of non licensed modalities, ensures the public access to the type of healthcare they choose, and protects the public by establishing accepted criteria for those practitioners to meet.

SB 817 and HB 1156 are apparently designed to revise the penalty structure for Chiropractors and Massage Therapists practicing without a license.  Then it includes a provision which would require Board exception to lawfully practice alternative and complementary medicine in Maryland.  It also creates a monopoly by only allowing five specific Natural Healing Modalities named to practice.  According to SB 817 HB 1156, those in violation may receive up to a $5000 FINE or ONE YEAR IN JAIL OR BOTH, just for practicing a form of healing for which they have received training and certification.  

One of the proposed amendments (3-501 (C)) specifically classifies any form of Energy Healing in the same category as Chiropractic or Massage Therapy, unless provided a specific exemption. 

This directly infringes on the rights of citizens to choose the form of healing that they see fit, as well as removes sources of income for those who practice a form of healing not protected in this Bill.  We seek to have SB 817 and HB 1156 removed completely and replaced with a Bill that will offer protection to ALL forms of healing, not just five. 

We will be recommending a new bill that protects citizens from harm, while giving them the freedom to choose and teach without the threat of fines and jail time.  For those that wish to attend the Hearing: 

The address is: 
100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401

 

Write the Senators and Committee responsible for this Bill and tell them you don’t agree with it.  If you are in Maryland, also include your District Representatives.

To Whom It May Concern,

I do not agree with SB 817 and HB 1156 and ask for it to be stopped.  Specifically 3-501C incorrectly categorizes one occupation under another.

Respectfully, 
(Your Name)

JENNIE M. FOREHAND 
jennie.forehand@senate.state.md.us

JOANNE CLAYBON BENSON
joanne.benson@senate.state.md.us

KAREN S. MONTGOMERY
karen.montgomery@senate.state.md.us

NORMAN R. STONE, JR.
norman.stone@senate.state.md.us

EDUCATION, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
ehe@mlis.state.md.us

avatar of the starter
Energy Medicine Professional AssociationPetition StarterEMPI is a professional association that offers you useful resources and valuable protection. We recognize there are many Energy Medicine modalities and that the practitioners of these modalities are working in a common field and have similar needs. EMPI believes by bringing resources together all Energy Medicine Professionals become stronger.
Confirmed victory
This petition made change with 5,406 supporters!

The Issue

Protect the right to practice and receive Natural Healing Therapies in Maryland. Senate Bill 817 and HB 1156 aims to punish those practicing alternative and complementary healing in Maryland. 

Time is critical. SB 817 goes to hearing on February 20, 2014 at 1:00 PM EST. 
HB 1156 goes to hearing on March 5, 2014 at 1:00 PM EST. 

Your immediate action is the only thing that will stop this bill!

If you are in Marylandit is critical that you write your representatives directly, more importantly, anyone that can should attend the hearing to support eliminating the bill or replacing it with one that protects the rights of practitioners of non licensed modalities, ensures the public access to the type of healthcare they choose, and protects the public by establishing accepted criteria for those practitioners to meet.

SB 817 and HB 1156 are apparently designed to revise the penalty structure for Chiropractors and Massage Therapists practicing without a license.  Then it includes a provision which would require Board exception to lawfully practice alternative and complementary medicine in Maryland.  It also creates a monopoly by only allowing five specific Natural Healing Modalities named to practice.  According to SB 817 HB 1156, those in violation may receive up to a $5000 FINE or ONE YEAR IN JAIL OR BOTH, just for practicing a form of healing for which they have received training and certification.  

One of the proposed amendments (3-501 (C)) specifically classifies any form of Energy Healing in the same category as Chiropractic or Massage Therapy, unless provided a specific exemption. 

This directly infringes on the rights of citizens to choose the form of healing that they see fit, as well as removes sources of income for those who practice a form of healing not protected in this Bill.  We seek to have SB 817 and HB 1156 removed completely and replaced with a Bill that will offer protection to ALL forms of healing, not just five. 

We will be recommending a new bill that protects citizens from harm, while giving them the freedom to choose and teach without the threat of fines and jail time.  For those that wish to attend the Hearing: 

The address is: 
100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401

 

Write the Senators and Committee responsible for this Bill and tell them you don’t agree with it.  If you are in Maryland, also include your District Representatives.

To Whom It May Concern,

I do not agree with SB 817 and HB 1156 and ask for it to be stopped.  Specifically 3-501C incorrectly categorizes one occupation under another.

Respectfully, 
(Your Name)

JENNIE M. FOREHAND 
jennie.forehand@senate.state.md.us

JOANNE CLAYBON BENSON
joanne.benson@senate.state.md.us

KAREN S. MONTGOMERY
karen.montgomery@senate.state.md.us

NORMAN R. STONE, JR.
norman.stone@senate.state.md.us

EDUCATION, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
ehe@mlis.state.md.us

avatar of the starter
Energy Medicine Professional AssociationPetition StarterEMPI is a professional association that offers you useful resources and valuable protection. We recognize there are many Energy Medicine modalities and that the practitioners of these modalities are working in a common field and have similar needs. EMPI believes by bringing resources together all Energy Medicine Professionals become stronger.

The Decision Makers

Former State Senate
3 Members
1 Responded
Jennie Forehand 2
Former State Senate - Maryland-17
This is Sen. Forehand's legislative aide. The information in this petition is incorrect. This legislation does not seek to license alternate modality practitioners or to punish them but to recognize their existing certifications from their respective organizations. Please have a lawyer look at the bill to explain it or please contact our office directly at jennie.forehand@senate.state.md.us The bill (and penalties) target salon-front brothels (a growing problem backed by international criminal organizations) which use trafficked Asian women and advertise "accupressure" or "reflexology" treatments on Backpage.com. Police have tried many approaches to shut these places down and still the operators get off on legal technicalities. The women just go from one "salon" to another. To find out more search PolarisProject.org or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center on the web. The big penalties are reserved for the traffickers who recruit and advertise victims to practice massage therapy (or the exempted certified modalities) without a license or an accepted certification. An organization that certifies practitioners can apply to the Board in the state to have their certificate be accepted. We contacted and worked with a number of organizations in creating this legislation including the American Reflexology Association; Intl Assoc. of Structural Integrators (IASI) also AOBTA for Asian Bodyworkers and others. The legislation leaves the door open for other modalities to be included within the law.
Norman Stone
Former State Senate - Maryland-6
Karen Montgomery
Former State Senate - Maryland-14
Ben Kramer
Maryland State Senate - District 19

Petition Updates