01/27/2005 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

            SB  42-NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE TASK FORCE                                                                         
                                                                                                                              
CHAIR CON BUNDE announce SB 42 to be up for consideration.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:32:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. JOSEPH  MICHEL, staff to Senator  Seekins, said SB  42 extends                                                              
the  termination date  of the  Naturopathic  Task Force.  It is  a                                                              
one-year extension  of Senate Bill  306 that was passed  last year                                                              
establishing the task force.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:33:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MICHEL listed  the issues  the  task force  was charged  with                                                              
studying:                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
   1. the comparable education and training levels of naturopaths                                                               
     versus medical doctors;                                                                                                    
   2. the use of legend [potentially addictive drugs] and                                                                       
     prescription drugs by naturopaths with respect to their                                                                    
     scope of practice;                                                                                                         
   3. the non-pharmacological treatments by naturopaths including                                                               
     minor surgery;                                                                                                             
   4. collaborative protocols and agreements between naturopaths                                                                
     and medical doctors;                                                                                                       
   5. joint liability issues between collaborating practitioners;                                                               
     and                                                                                                                        
   6. other issues of relevance.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:33:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
He  said  the  task  force  has nine  members  who  met  over  the                                                              
interim,  but  didn't  have  enough  time to  deal  with  all  the                                                              
issues. The  reporting date  is changed from  December 1,  2004 to                                                              
December  1,  2005  and  the  termination  date  is  changed  from                                                              
February 1, 2005 to February 1, 2006.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE asked if there was a cost to running the task force.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. MICHEL replied no.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:34:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BUNDE noted  that Kathleen  Sweeney, ND  was present  as an                                                              
observer.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:34:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR SEEKINS  explained that the  reason for the late  start is                                                              
because  members were  not appointed  until late  in the year  and                                                              
the subject  is important and  deserves adequate  discussion among                                                              
all the  various players. Educational  levels are  being discussed                                                              
while  comparing curriculums  and  practical  experience before  a                                                              
recommendation can be made.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:35:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BUNDE humorously  said  he  was breaking  his  rule of  not                                                              
passing things  out in  the first  hearing, because discussion  of                                                              
the extension was dealt with adequately in one hearing.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  SEEKINS   moved  to  pass  SB  42  from   committee  with                                                              
individual   recommendations  and   no   fiscal  notes.   Senators                                                              
Stevens,  Ellis, Seekins  and Chair  Bunde  voted yea;  and SB  42                                                              
passed from  committee. There  being no  further business  to come                                                              
before the committee, he adjourned the meeting at 1:37:32 PM.