|
ABMP Legislative Report
Mississippi 8/31/01 4/27/01 2/12/01 8/31/01:Senate Bill 2360 was singed into law by Governor Musgrove on April 7, 2001 and went into effect on July 1, 2001. The State Board of Massage Therapy has not yet been appointed and the bill stipulates for 180 day grace period from the time that the board is established. The bill protects the advertising and practicing rights for massage therapy. Requirements for licensure include being at least eighteen (18) years of age, a high school graduate or equivalency, of legal status and of good moral character. Applicants must supply proof of current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid of at least eight (8) hours of training, including practical testing, and supply documentation of familiarity with The Americans with Disabilities Act, documentation of completion of an approved continuing education course on communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS information and prevention; and the successful completion of the "National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork" (NCETMB) and/or any other nationally or internationally accredited examination approved by the board. Applicants must also provide official and certified transcript(s) from your massage therapy school. Such transcript must verify that the applicant has completed a board-approved training program of no less than 600 hours of supervised in-class massage therapy instruction and 100 hours of student clinic, with a minimum grade requirement of "C" or better in every course of instruction, as stated for school requirements; or if the applicant is submitting criteria from an apprenticeship program, all required documentation, forms and other board-stipulated requirements must be met. The following pre-act practitioners are exempt from having to take any examination for licensure, but must fulfill all other requirements as stated in this act, except for the requirements in italics above. * Those having more than three hundred (300) documented, board-accepted in-class hours of massage therapy education before Jan. 1, 2001. * Those having more than five (5) years of professional massage therapy experience and a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) hours of approved massage therapy education. * Those having no formal training, but who have successfully passed the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. * Students enrolled in a massage therapy curriculum of at least five hundred (500) hours on July 1, 2001, who complete graduation from the same curriculum. To summarize, if your existing education or training meets one of the bulleted definitions above, you will only need to meet the following requirements: be at least eighteen (18) years of age, a high school graduate or equivalency and of legal status and of good moral character. supply proof of current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid of at least eight (8) hours of training. supply documentation of familiarity with The Americans with Disabilities Act, and completion of an approved continuing education course on communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS information and prevention. For a complete copy of Senate Bill 2360, please visit The Mississippi State website at www.ls.state.ms.us/. 4/27/01: On 4/7/01 Senate Bill 2360 signed into law by Governor Musgrove. 2/12/01: Senate Bill 2360 was introduced by Senator Huggins and referred to Public Health and Welfare on January 10, 2001. The Bill provides for licensing of massage therapists and creates the State Board of Massage Therapy. The Bill stipulates that "no person may advertise massage or practice massage for compensation unless he is licensed as a massage therapist by the board. No person may use the title of or represent himself to be a massage therapist or use any other title, abbreviations, letters, figures, signs or devices that indicate that such person is a massage therapist unless he is licensed to practice massage therapy under the provisions of this act." Requirements for licensure include being at least eighteen (18) years of age, a high school graduate or equivalency, of legal status and of good moral character. Applicants must supply proof of current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid of at least eight (8) hours of training, including practical testing, and supply documentation of familiarity with The Americans with Disabilities Act, documentation of completion of an approved continuing education course on communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS information and prevention; and the successful completion of the "National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork" (NCETMB) and/or any other nationally or internationally accredited examination approved by the board. You must also provide your official and certified transcript(s) from your massage therapy school. Such transcript must verify that the applicant has completed a board-approved training program of no less than 700 hours of supervised in-class massage therapy instruction and student clinic, with a minimum grade requirement of "C" or better in every course of instruction, as stated for school requirements; or if the applicant is submitting criteria from an apprenticeship program, all required documentation, forms and other board-stipulated requirements must be met. Grandfathering: The following pre-act practitioners are exempt from having to take any examination for licensure, but must fulfill all other requirements as stated in this act, except for the requirements in italics above. . Those having more than three hundred (300) documented, board-accepted in-class hours of massage therapy education before January 1, 2001. . Those having more than five (5) years of professional massage therapy experience and a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) hours of approved massage therapy education. . Those having no formal training, but who have successfully passed the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. . Students enrolled in a massage therapy curriculum of at least five hundred (500) hours on July 1, 2001, who complete graduation from the same curriculum. To summarize, if your existing education or training meets one of the bulleted definitions above, you will only need to meet the following requirements: be at least eighteen (18) years of age, a high school graduate or equivalency and of legal status and of good moral character. Supply proof of current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid of at least eight (8) hours of training supply documentation of familiarity with The Americans with Disabilities Act, and completion of an approved continuing education course on communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS information and prevention If passed, the act will take effect on July 1, 2001. ABMP encourages you to be involved in this process! Contact your local representative or a member of the Public Health and Welfare committee and let them know what your position on this regulation is. The committee members are: Robert G. Huggins, Chairman , Ezell Lee, Vice-Chairman. Barbara Blackmon, Hob Bryan, Terry C. Burton, Neely C. Carlton, Deborah Jeanne Dawkins, Bob M. Dearing, Ron Farris, Billy V. Harvey, Travis L. Little, Nolan Mettetal, William R. Minor, Alan Nunnelee, Willie Simmons, Rob H. Smith, Billy Thames, Bennie L. Turner, and John White They can be contacted through the Mississippi State Legislative website at www.ls.state.ms.us/ss_membs.htm or by mail P.O. Box 1018 Jackson, MS 39215-1018 |