The legislative session may be over, but one of Florida’s most important health freedom decisions is still ahead.
In 1927, Florida was one of the first states in the nation to license naturopathic doctors. But in 1959, the state stopped issuing new licenses for the profession, and kept the regulation of naturopathy in place. That means since 1959, naturopathy has been a felony in our state. And naturopaths, traditional naturopaths, and naturopathic doctors have been barred.
After 67 years, CS/SB 688, the Naturopathic Medicine bill, finally reversed that scar on Florida’s past. This Legislative session, CS/SB688 passed the Florida Legislature with very wide margins of support. It passed the Senate by a 33-3 vote, and the House with a 85-22 vote.
It now awaits Governor Ron DeSantis’ signature. We are deeply concerned by reports that the bill may be vetoed.
If those reports prove true, it would not simply be the rejection of one healthcare bill. It would deny Floridians greater freedom to choose where they spend their healthcare dollars and raise difficult questions about what the Make America Healthy Again movement truly means in practice. It would keep Florida as the worst state in the nation for naturopathy. That’s not a legacy of health freedom. That’s a legacy of control.
Governor Ron DeSantis has earned national recognition as one of the strongest champions of medical freedom in America.
Florida became a refuge for families who were tired of government overreach, medical mandates, and a healthcare system that too often leaves patients with fewer choices, not more. Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida stood for informed consent, patient choice, and the right of individuals and families to make their own healthcare decisions.
That is why a veto of SB 688, the Naturopathic Medicine bill, would be so difficult to understand.
SB 688 is not a radical bill. It does not create a dangerous expansion of medical practice. It does not allow naturopathic doctors to practice as medical doctors. It does not allow them to perform surgery or prescribe legend drugs. It simply allows naturopaths to return to Florida and creates a defined, accountable pathway for trained naturopathic doctors to practice within a very limited scope in Florida.
At its core, this bill is about one simple question: Do Floridians have the right to choose the type of healthcare provider they believe best supports their health?
For those of us working in the Make America Healthy Again movement, the answer is yes.
MAHA cannot simply be a slogan. It must mean something in policy. It must mean that families have the freedom to seek prevention-focused care. It must mean that nutrition, lifestyle, natural approaches, and whole-person wellness are not treated as threats to the system. It must mean that Floridians can decide where to spend their own healthcare dollars without the state standing in the way.
Some may argue that vetoing SB 688 is the “less regulated” position. But in Florida, naturopathy is already regulated in the most restrictive way possible: it is effectively prohibited. No one here can freely be a naturopath, traditional naturopath, or naturopathic doctor. When the state makes a form of care illegal, that is not freedom. That is government control.
SB 688 does not expand government overreach. It limits it. The government has been overreaching since 1959. We thought 2026 was finally the year to end that madness.
This bill takes a system where qualified naturopathic doctors are barred from serving Floridians and replaces it with clear standards, defined boundaries, and patient choice. That is not bigger government. That is a responsible step toward healthcare freedom.
Floridians are not asking the state to force naturopathic care on anyone. They are asking for the freedom to choose it. That distinction matters.
Patients who want a conventional medical doctor should choose one. Patients who want a functional medicine provider should choose one. Patients who want a naturopathic doctor trained in prevention, nutrition, and natural approaches should be free to choose one as well. Patients who want a naturopath should get that right.
That is the heart of health freedom.
During the legislative process, 2,268 messages were sent to policymakers in support of SB 688. Since the bill passed, over 1,000 messages have already been sent to Governor DeSantis urging him to sign it. This is not a fringe issue. This is a growing demand from Floridians who want more healthcare options, not fewer.
Our organization, along with other health freedom groups, represent more than 250,000 Floridians and is part of the broader Make America Healthy Again coalition working at the local, state, and federal levels to restore health, protect informed consent, and expand patient choice. We have supported this bill every time it has been filed because it aligns directly with those principles.
Governor DeSantis has led boldly on medical freedom when other leaders would not. He stood against mandates. He defended individual rights. He helped make Florida a national example for those who believe the government should not control personal medical decisions.
That is why we respectfully urge him not to reverse course now.
A veto of CS/SB 688 would send the wrong message at the wrong time. It would tell Floridians that patient choice is supported only when it fits within the existing medical establishment. It would tell the MAHA movement that prevention and natural health are welcome in speeches, but not in law. It would preserve a government barrier that keeps trained naturopathic doctors from serving the families who are actively seeking them.
Florida should not be afraid of more healthcare choice.
Florida should lead.
Governor DeSantis has an opportunity to once again stand with families, patients, and the growing movement to Make America Healthy Again by signing SB 688 into law.
We respectfully urge him to do exactly that.
