AB 1703 adds osteopathic practice and title restrictions
Oct 11, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0065 · Published 2026-10-11 · Version 3 · Final
AB 1703 narrows California's unlicensed-practice exception for osteopathic manipulative treatment and adds osteopathic title restrictions. Although chaptered September 27, both substantive changes become operative January 1, 2028, and the treatment provision preserves California-authorized licensed practice and massage services.
What happened
AB 1703 was chaptered September 27 as Chapter 543, with its new practice and title restrictions operative January 1, 2028. The replacement Business and Professions Code section 2053.5 adds osteopathic manipulative treatment to the services that cannot use the disclosure-based exception to specified unauthorized-practice prohibitions. It defines that treatment as the therapeutic application of manually guided forces to alleviate somatic dysfunction. The text expressly preserves the practice of California-licensed health professions and massage services authorized by California law; the existing version of the exception remains until the 2028 transition.
New section 2453.3 separately prohibits a person who is not licensed by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California from using "doctor of osteopathy" or "D.O." It also prohibits using "osteopath" in a way that implies the person holds the specified osteopathic or physician license when offering or providing services to treat a medical or physical condition. A violation is a misdemeanor. The title rule and the treatment restriction therefore address different conduct, and both carry the express January 1, 2028 operative date.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Final
- Applicability
- Potentially applicable
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks
- Jurisdiction
- California
- Recorded date
- 2028-01-01
- Date type
- effective
Why it matters
Osteopathic practices and organizations offering manipulative treatment may need to review scope-of-practice controls, titles, credentialing, and service descriptions before 2028.
Recommended action
Credentialing and marketing teams should plan a review of affected osteopathic services and titles before the 2028 operative date.
Sources
- AB-1703 Osteopathic physicians and surgeons: unauthorized practice: unauthorized use of titles, bill historyOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-08-31 · Source review 2026-09-10
- AB-1703 Osteopathic physicians and surgeons: unauthorized practice: unauthorized use of titles, current bill text (08/27/26 - Enrolled)Official · California Legislature · 2026-08-27 · Source review 2026-09-10
- AB1703 chaptered operative textOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-09-27 · Source review 2026-10-11
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