In a sunrise review released last month, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies recommended regulation of naturopaths, and the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Physicians plans to put a proposal before the legislature in January. The recommendation results from citing of cases where an unregulated practitioner has caused death or harm to a patient. The Association's proposal would require 4 years education at an accredited naturopathic college and passing an exam to get a license.
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See http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/lcsstaff/2005/research/05sunsetproc.htm (scroll down) for Colorado's sunrise review process.
A sunrise review into the regulation of naturopaths was also conducted in June of this year in Virginia. Virginia previously licensed naturopaths through the Board of Medicine but discontinued regulation in 1972 when there were only 4 licensees. A sponsor of a naturopathic licensure bill in 2005 requested the sunrise review from the Department of Health Professions before proceeding with the propsed bill before the legislature.
