Osteopathic physicians and surgeons: unauthorized practice: unauthorized use of titles.

The osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) exclusion was moved from the immediately-effective amendment of Section 2053.5 to the new section operative on January 1, 2028. In the prior version, unlicensed OMT would have been criminalized immediately and then removed from the prohibited list in 2028. Now, unlicensed OMT remains permissible under the existing disclosure exception until January 1, 2028, when it becomes a crime.

The effective date for criminalizing unlicensed osteopathic manipulative treatment is now clearly January 1, 2028 (via the new Section 2053.5), rather than being immediately in force with a 2028 sunset that would have removed the prohibition.

Section numbering was cleaned up from the amended version's duplicate 'SECTION 1' labels and abbreviated 'SEC.' references to proper sequential numbering (SEC. 1 through SEC. 4). Gender-neutral language ('they are') is used consistently throughout.

Both the osteopathic manipulative treatment exclusion (Section 2053.5) and the new title protection misdemeanor (Section 2453.3) are now operative only on January 1, 2028, rather than taking effect immediately upon enactment. The existing Section 2053.5 is amended to sunset on that same date.

A new carve-out was added to the OMT prohibition stating that nothing in that paragraph shall prohibit the practice of a California-licensed health care profession or massage services authorized by California law. This means licensed practitioners and legally authorized massage therapists are explicitly exempt from the OMT ban.

Section 2453.3 (title protection) was narrowed. The old version prohibited using 'osteopath,' 'doctor of osteopathy,' 'D.O.,' or generally indicating or implying one is a licensed osteopath. The new version limits the prohibition to two specific acts: (1) using the phrase 'doctor of osteopathy' or initials 'D.O.,' and (2) using the word 'osteopath' in a way that implies licensure. The standalone general 'indicate or imply' language was removed.

Gender-neutral pronoun changes from 'he or she' to 'they' throughout, and capitalization of 'X-ray' changed to 'x-ray.' These are stylistic updates with no substantive policy effect.

Section 2453.3(a) was restructured from a single prohibition into two sub-parts: (1) using the phrase 'doctor of osteopathy' or the initials 'D.O.' is prohibited as a standalone act, and (2) using the word 'osteopath' in a way that implies licensure is prohibited when offering or providing a service to treat a medical or physical condition, as specified in Section 2052.

The prohibition on using 'doctor of osteopathy' or 'D.O.' was broadened - it is no longer limited to the context of offering or providing services, making it a standalone offense. Conversely, the prohibition on using 'osteopath' was narrowed to require that the use implies licensure and occurs in a service context.

The Osteopathic Medical Board of California is now more specifically named in Section 2453.3(a), though the amendment text appears to contain drafting artifacts where old language was not fully removed.

The amendment to Section 145 of the Business and Professions Code was removed entirely. That section contained a legislative finding that unlicensed activity in professions regulated by the Department of Consumer Affairs is a threat to public health, welfare, and safety, and that law enforcement should have effective means to enforce licensing laws. Its removal narrows the bill's scope to only the healing arts provisions.

In new Section 2453.3(a), the phrase 'licensed physician and surgeon' was changed to 'licensed physician and surgeon licensed by the board,' clarifying that the prohibition specifically covers implying one is licensed by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, not just any physician and surgeon license.

The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now requires fiscal committee review. The state-mandated local program designation also changed from 'no' to 'yes,' acknowledging that creating new crimes imposes costs on local agencies.

The bill now amends Section 2053.5 of the Business and Professions Code to add osteopathic manipulative treatment (defined as the therapeutic application of manually guided forces to alleviate somatic dysfunction) to the list of services excluded from the disclosure-based exception to unauthorized practice of medicine, making it a crime for unlicensed persons to provide this service.

The original nonsubstantive amendment to Section 145 (general declaration about unlicensed activity) was retained but moved to the end of the bill, and the legislative digest was rewritten to reflect the expanded scope covering osteopathic physicians and surgeons.

New Section 2453.3 makes it a misdemeanor for any person not licensed by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California to use the word 'osteopath,' the phrase 'doctor of osteopathy,' the initials 'D.O.,' or to indicate or imply they are a licensed osteopath, doctor of osteopathy, or physician and surgeon when offering or providing a service to treat a medical or physical condition.

Several grammatical updates were made throughout Section 2053.5: 'X-ray' was changed to 'x-ray radiation,' and gendered pronouns 'he or she' were replaced with 'they are' in multiple paragraphs.

The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes' and the state-mandated local program designation changed from 'no' to 'yes' because the bill now creates new crimes. A no-reimbursement provision was added citing Government Code Section 17556.