Summary#

SR 137 is a California Senate resolution, not a law amending an existing Act. It declares October 2026 to be National Chiropractic Health Month in California; its stated goal is to recognize chiropractic care and promote awareness of it.

• The resolution recognizes the value of chiropractic’s non-drug approach to musculoskeletal and joint health.
• The Senate Secretary must send copies of the resolution to the California Chiropractic Association and the author.
• The resolution’s supporting statements describe chiropractic care as safe and effective. Those statements are not new legal standards or findings created by the resolution.

What it means for you#

• Members of the public: The resolution does not create a new right to chiropractic care or change health coverage, licensing rules, or clinical practice.
• Chiropractors: It recognizes the profession but does not change licensing or oversight by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners.
• California Chiropractic Association and the resolution’s author: They are to receive copies from the Senate Secretary.

Money#

No cost estimate is provided for the resolution.

• It does not appropriate money or create a funded program.
• The resolution’s statements say the chiropractic board’s regulatory work is funded by fees paid by the profession, not the State General Fund. The resolution does not change that funding.

What is unclear#

• The resolution does not set out any public education or promotion activities beyond declaring the month and sending copies.
• It does not define or independently assess the terms “safe” and “effective” used in its supporting statements.
• It does not change existing programs or explain how its declaration would interact with them.

Case for#

• A possible argument for the resolution is that it gives public recognition to a non-drug approach to musculoskeletal care.
• It could raise awareness of chiropractic care without changing licensing rules or creating a new program.

Case against#

• One concern is that the resolution presents chiropractic care as safe and effective without setting out an evidence review or qualifications for those claims.
• The practical effect may be limited: the resolution declares a month but does not require a public awareness campaign or change access to care.