Take Action to Oppose A1582 before Floor Vote on Thursday, 6/20 at 1PM

Urgent Action Needed to Protect Access to Complementary & Alternative Health Practitioners in New Jersey! 
Take Action to OPPOSE A1582 before Floor Vote on Thursday 6/20 at 1pm!

On Thursday, June 20, the entire NJ Assembly will vote on A1582, a restrictive Dietitian Nutritionist Licensing bill!  Take Action now to let your legislators know you want them to Vote NO on A1582.  Click here to easily send an opposition message, then make 1 phone call using the info at the bottom of this email!  Thanks to everyone who has already taken action and thanks in advance for doing it again or for the first time!  Don’t delay! 

The next 48 hours is your last opportunity to stop your Assemblymember from voting for A1582 now that it was “reported favorably”, a.k.a. passed, by the Appropriations committee (7y to 4n) last week.  Actually, it could be your second-to-last chance; if A1582 is amended on the floor on Thursday, then you’ll likely have until Tuesday 6/25 because a vote cannot take place on the same day as an amendment.  Please do everything you can to encourage others to send messages of opposition too. Calls, emails, and personal stories about the help you receive and/or provide using services that will be restricted or prevented under this bill are critical to stopping it from becoming law! Please Take Action and complete the other action steps below, to protect freedom of speech and freedom to access the complementary and alternative health care practitioners of your choice.  

What the bill does: 

A1582 (S2625) broadly defines “dietetics/nutrition” and seeks to limit the right to do anything within that broad definition, including providing “nutritional counseling and education” to licensees only.   There is no evidence that consumers are being harmed without the restrictive licensing scheme proposed by A1582/S2625 and so there is no constitutionally valid reason to make the “practice of dietetics/nutrition without a license” illegal.  

The bill seeks to criminalize herbalists, naturopaths, nutritional consultants, holistic health coaches, ayurvedic practitioners, and even parents on blogs or social media who discuss and make recommendations about food and herbs all the time!  Additionally, it bans numerous titles such as nutritional therapy practitioner, nutritional therapy consultant, certified nutrition therapy practitioner, and master nutrition therapist.

What you can do (in just 5-10 minutes):

1. Click Here to Enter Your Address to ask your legislator to Vote NO on A1582.  Please add a brief personal note to have a greater impact! 
2.  Call Your Assemblymember’s Office to Ask for a NO vote on A1582.  Leave a brief message of opposition with the office staff. Simply say that you oppose restrictions on your ability to access complementary and alternative practitioners, as proposed by A1582, and that you want the Assemblymember to Vote NO when it comes up for a vote on the floor on Thursday, June 20.  Find phone numbers here (enter street address and scroll to State) or here (NJ legislature website).

Example message for Legislators:

“My name is [Your Name]. I live in [Your City]. Please tell Assemblymember [Last Name] to vote NO on A1582, dietitian nutritionist licensing bill, when it comes up for a vote on the floor on Thursday afternoon.”

“A1582 unnecessarily limits my freedom of choice because it prevents the delivery of nutrition services by anyone who does not want, or cannot receive, the new license the bill seeks to create without any proof of harm being done to New Jersey citizens without the onerous regulation proposed by this bill.” 

[Optional: Insert your own brief reason why you support access to complementary and alternative health care (i.e., I depend on the services of an herbalist and a health coach for myself and my family and I want New Jersey law to protect my rights as a consumer to a free and educated choice in access to health care providers; or, i.e., I want New Jersey law to empower economic freedom, small business owners, and the least restrictive form of regulation possible)].  

Thanks.”

3. Share this message with your friends, colleagues, family, and social media outlets in New Jersey  so they can Take Action before Thursday’s floor vote too!  We need all the help we can get to stop this terrible bill and protect access to complementary and alternative health care practitioners in New Jersey!

THANK YOU for your commitment to Health Freedom!  If you have any questions, please contact us at info.nhfa@nationalhealthfreedom.org. 

New Jersey Health Seekers deserve to have maximum options protected for themselves as they work to explore their wellness and health.  We Appreciate Your Help in Opposing Restrictions on Access to Complementary and Alternative Health Care Practitioners.