[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 41 (Friday, March 22, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  NATUROPATHY ADVANCES IN PUERTO RICO

                                 ______


                          HON. BILL RICHARDSON

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 22, 1996

  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to advise my 
colleagues in the House that the Legislation and Governor of the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have committed themselves to provide 
legislation which would license and regulate the practice of 
naturopathy in Puerto Rico, and at the same time, assure to the 
citizens of Puerto Rico the freedom to be able to continue to select 
health-care practitioners of their choice. I commend the Legislature 
and the Governor of the Commonwealth for this commitment.
  As Members of the House may already know, modern naturopathy was 
introduced into Puerto Rico in the 1950's. Subsequent thereto, 
traditional naturopathy began to be promoted earnestly in the 1960's. 
However, it was not until the 1970's that naturopathy began to flourish 
in the island paradise, largely as a result of the efforts of Dr. 
Carmen Martinez, Dr. Ivan Martinez, and Dr. Norman Gonzalez.
  In the 1980's, the profession of naturopathy began to organize with 
the establishment in 1981, of the Puerto Rico Association of 
Naturopaths [PRAN]. In 1983, PRAN established a Self-Examining Board 
and Continued Education, and called for legislation to regulate the 
practice of naturopathy. The legislation was opposed by certain groups 
wishing to limit economic competition and the legislation ultimately 
died. Another legislation effort was launched in 1985, but once again, 
the legislation died. Other aborted legislative efforts followed but 
each were unsuccessful. The current legislative effort, unfortunately, 
is facing strong opposition from the leadership of certain medical 
doctors in spite of 90-percent support from the citizens, including 
health-care practitioners, as reflected in a February, 1996, poll.
  Late in 1995, the Puerto Rico Supreme Court, in a four-to-three 
decision, confirmed a lower court decision that held that naturopathy 
was a part of medicine and consequently, only a licensed medical doctor 
could practice naturopathy. This decision led to such an uproar 
throughout the Commonwealth that the legislature and Governor enacted a 
law which established a 1-year moratorium delaying the implementation 
of the decision of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court while enabling the 
legislature and Governor the opportunity to present and enact 
legislation to license and regulate the practice of naturopathy. This 
moratorium, which recognized and established the naturopathic 
profession as a different science, separate from conventional 
Naturopathic Associations which is composed of PRAN, the Puerto Rico 
Association of Naturologists, the Christian Federation of Naturopaths, 
and other supporting organizations.
  In February of this year, Senate bill 1329 was introduced and 
hearings were expected shortly in both the Senate and House. The bill 
is a comprehensive bill designed to recognize and regulate the 
naturopathic profession in Puerto Rico who practice traditional 
naturopathy. The bill includes provisions to certify the competency of, 
and license, the existing naturopaths in Puerto Rico, which 
approximates 200 doctors. It also establishes a mechanism to examine 
and license future naturopaths who have successfully completed a 
comprehensive educational curriculum in naturopathy.
  Unfortunately, legislation to extend, and possibly alter the existing 
moratorium, is now being considered by the Senate majority party 
leadership in response to lobbying from the leadership of certain 
medical doctors.
  During the next several weeks, other colleagues and I will report 
further in the House regarding the progress of naturopathic legislation 
in Puerto Rico. We will also report on further developments in the 
naturopathic profession in Puerto Rico. Each of us warmly applauds 
those members of the Puerto Rico Legislature and the Governor who hold 
steadfast to their original commitment to the people of Puerto Rico to 
regulate the naturopathic profession.

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