HB 520 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

State Board of Physicians - Naturopathic Doctors - Scope of Practice, Renewals, and Professional Liability Insurance

HB 520 updates Maryland's regulations for naturopathic doctors. It modifies their scope of practice by clarifying which prescription drugs they can dispense as "starter doses" (limited to 72 hours or initial therapy), renames the Naturopathic Doctors Formulary Council to focus specifically on "Controlled Dangerous Substances," and adds new requirements for license renewals. The bill also mandates that naturopathic doctors provide patients with specific insurance information and report professional liability insurance details to the State Board of Physicians upon request. These changes directly affect licensed naturopathic doctors practicing in Maryland.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 27, 2026 Last action Mar 12, 2026

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What changed between versions

First - State Board of Physicians - Naturopathic Doctors - Scope of Practice, Renewals, and Professional Liability Insurance → Third - State Board of Physicians - Naturopathic Doctors - Scope of Practice, Renewals, and Professional Liability Insurance · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Maryland's naturopathic doctor regulations by renaming the Formulary Council to focus on controlled dangerous substances, clarifying the definition of 'starter dosage' to include a 'starter starter dose', and modifying the definition of an approved naturopathic medical program to remove specific Canadian accreditation requirements. The changes aim to streamline regulatory oversight and align terminology with controlled substance management.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on naturopathic doctors, but the applicability of certain accreditation requirements for Canadian programs was removed, potentially affecting eligibility criteria for international programs.

DEFINITION

The term 'starter dosage' was modified to include 'starter starter dose' in the bill's purpose statement, clarifying the dispensing rules for initial medication amounts.

The Naturopathic Doctors Formulary Council was renamed to the Naturopathic Doctors Formulary Council for Controlled Dangerous Substances, changing the council's official title and purpose.

ELIGIBILITY

Specific Canadian accreditation requirements for naturopathic medical programs were removed from the definition of an approved program, potentially broadening eligibility for Canadian institutions.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting and numbering changes were made throughout the document, including updates to bill metadata and section numbering.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 27, 2026

How they voted

96–38

Passed · 8 other

Total votes 142

Feb 27, 2026

D Democratic103

94 Yea 2 Nay 7

91% Yea

R Republican39

2 Yea 36 Nay 1

92% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 12, 2026

Committee

Referred Finance

upper

Mar 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Health

lower

Feb 27, 2026

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (96-38-8)

house of delegates

Jan 27, 2026

Committee

First Reading Health

lower

12 primary · 0 co-sponsors