DeSantis Veto Keeps Naturopathic Medicine A Felony In Florida $5,000 fine 5 years in prison https://www.aol.com/articles/holistic-criminal-desantis-veto-keeps-134550000.html Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed Senate Bill 688 on June 26, 2026, blocking a measure that would have legalized and regulated naturopathic medicine. The veto leaves a 1959 ban intact, meaning the practice of naturopathy remains a third-degree felony in the state. While DeSantis argued the bill would create unnecessary bureaucracy and costly fees, industry advocates and health freedom groups expressed deep disappointment, calling the decision a step backward for patient choice and deregulation. On Friday, June 26, 2026, Governor Ron DeSantis officially vetoed Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 688 (CS/SB 688), a move that maintains Florida’s long-standing prohibition on naturopathy. By rejecting the legislation, the governor ensures that practicing holistic naturopathic medicine remains classified as a class-three felony in the state, upholding a legal dynamic that has been continuously in place for 67 years. The bill, which was carried by Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez in the Senate and sponsored by Representative David Smith in the House, won overwhelming support in the Florida Legislature earlier this spring. It passed the Senate on March 5 by a vote of 33–3 and cleared the House on March 11 with an 85–22 majority. The legislation sought to modernize state health codes by lifting the historical ban on the term “naturopathy” and establishing a formal licensing framework under the Department of Health for naturopathic doctors (NDs) who graduate from accredited four-year programs and pass national board exams.,,

Federal Court Rules Against Amish Families in Religious Exemption Case https://publichealthpolicyjournal.com/federal-court-rules-against-amish-families-in-religious-exemption-case-will-supreme-court-have-the-last-word/ A federal court last week ruled against a group of Amish parents who sought religious exemptions from school vaccination requirements for their children — a ruling that legal experts suggest may lead to a U.S. Supreme Court showdown that could determine the future of religious exemptions nationwide. In its ruling in Miller v. McDonald, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said New York State’s law eliminating religious exemptions from school vaccination requirements is “neutral and generally applicable,” doesn’t discriminate against specific religious practices and furthers the state’s interest in protecting the public from disease. The plaintiffs, a group of parents and representatives of Amish schools in New York, sued New York’s Department of Health and Department of Education in 2023, alleging the state’s law barring religious exemptions violates the U.S. Constitution’s Free Exercise Clause under the First and 14th Amendments. The parents face $118,000 in fines for noncompliance with the state’s vaccination requirements. Last week’s decision was the second time the 2nd Circuit ruled against the plaintiffs. The same court previously dismissed the suit in 2024, upholding a decision by another federal court earlier that year. In December 2025, the Supreme Court sent the case back to the 2nd Circuit, asking it to review constitutional questions arising out of a separate ruling, Mahmoud v. Taylor, in 2024. In that case, the Supreme Court found that parents have the right to request an exemption for their children from LGBTQ curriculum on religious grounds. According to The Washington Post, last week’s ruling in Miller v. McDonald may “set the stage for a potential Supreme Court battle over vaccine mandates,” citing legal expert