Last December, SUNM’s Founders and President, Dr. Nuzzo and Dr. LaVista, along with SUNM Advisory Board members and SUNM graduate Naprapaths, hosted elected leaders from the Illinois General Assembly, the state’s legislative body.
While SUNM, the country’s only accredited school for Naprapathic medicine, currently lives and breathes from its New Mexico campus, the practice of Naprapathy originated in Illinois by Oakley Smith at the turn of the 20th century. SUNM remains very active in the birthplace of Naprapathy, and is working with the General Assembly members to help grow the practice there as well. The delegation from Illinois was led by State Representative Theresa Mah, a fierce advocate for Naprapathy, and the Chair of the Healthcare Licenses Committee.
There are two pieces of legislation currently being debated at the Illinois General Assembly – HB 5027 and HB 5031:
- HB 5027 seeks to amend the Naprapathic Practice Act to update the definition of Naprapathy, create a Board of Naprapathy, and make some other critical adjustments to the statute.
- HB 5031 seeks to amend the Regulatory Sunset Act so that the Naprapathic Practice Act will expire in 2028, instead of 2023.
As the practice of Naprapathy continues to grow in the United States, ensuring that state governments and the Fed have a solid handle on exactly what Naprapathy is will be ever more important. SUNM is proud to be leading the charge nationally to help the practice mature as expeditiously as possible.
During the visit, every single legislator and other advocates in attendance received a short Naprapathic treatment, received a copy of Naprapathy: Manual Medicine for the 21st Century, and heard more about Oakley Smith and the history of Naprapathy from Dr. Nuzzo
With its recent accreditation, all eyes are SUNM, and SUNM is helping to ensure the practice of Naprapathy enjoys the resurgence in the United States that it deserves.
