Applications for Idaho licensing are now available. This is not voluntary. All massage therapists are required to obtain a license by July 1, 2013 in order to practice. We recommend that you begin the license application process as soon you can.
To be clear – the term “grandfathering” relates to the qualifications required for existing practitioners to obtain a license for a certain period of time without meeting the normal licensing requirements. Grandfathering doesn’t mean you don’t ha
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ABMP is proud to sponsor EveryBody Deserves a Massage Week, July 14–20, 2013. During this annual July event, ABMP members give their time, money, and effort to help those less fortunate in their communities, while raising the profession’s visibility at the same time. In 2007, the program won a silver award from the Colorado Healthcare Communicators for its overall excellence.
Throughout EveryBody Deserves a Massage Week, ABMP encourages and supports members as they donate their time to such community
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Maryland House Bill 818 and Senate Bill 915, both recently introduced in the state legislature, propose to increase the number of hours that an applicant for licensure must complete in a Board-approved massage program from 500 hours to 600 hours. The bills also would add kinesiology to the content areas that must be included in those 600 hours.
ABMP opposes any increase in the required educational hours or content areas without justification for such a change. There are already considerable inconsisten
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As we discussed in our last legislative update, HB 1126 initially proposed to repeal South Dakota’s Massage Therapy Act. However, a compromise amendment was achieved which deleted the repeal language and instead made several improvements to the massage law, including:
Removing the requirement that schools must be accredited by a US Department of Education recognized accrediting agency by July 1, 2014 in order to be recognized by the Board.
Improving reciprocity/endorsement licensing requirements f
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All interested massage therapists are invited to participate in a survey on massage education. The purpose of this survey is to gather opinions regarding the quality of massage education, with the overall goal of improving its quality. The survey is being conducted by Martha Menard, PhD, as part of a program evaluation on behalf of the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA).
The survey link is available here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8W8GZHJ
Please respond no later than April 5, 2013.
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House Bill 1981 was introduced in the Washington state legislature on March 7, 2013. The bill proposes to require that massage therapy businesses, or “establishments,” obtain establishment licenses from the Department of Health in order to operate. The bill lists several exemptions, including exemptions for student clinics, establishments owned by licensed medical professionals, establishments which provide only chair massage, establishments owned and operated by a licensed massage practitioner who
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Under current law, Rhode Island massage therapists are regulated directly by the Department of Health. House Bill 5714, introduced in the state legislature on February 27, 2013, would amend Rhode Island’s massage law by placing the regulation of the massage profession under a new State Board of Massage Therapy Examiners operating under the Division of Professional Regulation of the Department of Health. The Board would be composed of seven members, five of whom would be licensed massage therapists and
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HB 659, recently introduced in the Missouri legislature, proposes to dramatically alter the state’s massage therapy law by stating that “nothing [within the massage therapy statute] shall require a person engaged in the practice of massage therapy to be licensed,” except that only someone who has obtained a license can call him or herself a “licensed massage therapist.” Therefore, if the bill becomes law, no massage therapist in Missouri will be required to have license in order to practice mass
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Under current Florida law, an applicant is qualified for licensure as a massage therapist if he or she passes an approved exam and either completes a course of study at a school approved by the Massage Therapy Board or completes an apprenticeship program that meets the Board’s standards. Under SB 1334, recently introduced in the Florida state legislature, apprenticeships would no longer serve as a qualification for licensure. If the bill becomes law, every applicant will be required to pass a Board-ap
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If passed, Senate Bill 387 would require that “massage facilities,” meaning any “facility where a person engages in the practice of massage,” obtain a massage facility permit from the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists in order to operate. This requirement would not apply to licensed massage schools or to individual massage therapists working out of their homes. In addition, the bill was amended on March 1st to exclude all clinics or facilities owned or operated by a person regulated by a health
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House Bill 351, sponsored by Rep. Paul Ray, would require massage therapy licensees to complete twenty-four hours of mandatory continuing education during each 2 year renewal cycle. You may read ABMP’s letter to the bill sponsor and committee members regarding our concerns here. The bill was heard by the House Health and Human Services Committee on February 27, 2013 and several committee members and testifiers voiced similar concerns with the bill. As a result, the Committee referred the bill to the Hou
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Colorado Senate Bill 151 was approved by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on February 13, 2013. The bill now goes to the Appropriations Committee for review. If passed, the bill will extend the Colorado Massage Therapy Practice Act, the law that regulates massage therapists in Colorado, until 2022. SB 151 does not make any drastic changes to the existing massage law. The requirements for licensure will be the same as they have been for registration: 500 hours of massage therapy education, pass
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Indiana Senate Bill 573 (Landske) was passed by members of the Committee on Public Policy on February 14, 2013. This is the first step in a long legislative process. If passed, the bill would amend the current state certification law to a mandatory practice act. Anyone practicing, or advertising that they practice massage therapy, would be required to obtain a license in order to practice legally in the state. Practitioners who are currently state certified would be considered “licensed” automatically o
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February 4, 2013. The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education has completed Phase 1 of its National Teacher Education Standards Project, and has announced the publication of the Core Competencies for Massage Therapy Teachers. This document describes the foundational knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) needed for teachers to produce successful and consistent outcomes with adult learners in a variety of educational settings.
These comprehensive standards apply to the work of teachers across the entire c
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Massage Therapist Call to Action: The new massage therapy licensure bill has been introduced, it has not been given a hearing date yet. Now is the time to contact your legislators in support of House Bill 2187.
House Bill 2187, the Massage Therapy Licensure Act, would set minimum training requirements, define a scope of practice, provide an avenue for consumer complaint, and pre-empt local regulations. If passed, the bill would require massage therapists to become licensed by the state under the Kans
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A recent article highlighted statements made by the office of Erie County Comptroller Stefan I. Mychajliw in Buffalo, NY that referred to massage as a “luxury,” and derided the Erie County Public Employee Health Care Benefits program for offering massage and acupuncture as a benefit to public employees. After being alerted by ABMP members in the area, ABMP Government Relations Director Jean Robinson has sent a statement on behalf of our organization and its members to support the role of massage as a va
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HB 1126 was amended during the House floor vote. The amendment changed one word in the entire massage law.
The board shall (instead of may) issue a license to engage is the practice of massage to a person who submits an application form and the nonrefundable application fee as approved in § 36-35-17 and who demonstrates the following qualifications….
The qualifications for licensure remained the same.
The amendment passed yesterday is not sufficient. It eliminated one “may” but left another
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Two bills have been introduced in the Oklahoma state legislature which would require that all massage therapists in Oklahoma have state licenses in order to practice, and that all massage schools have state licenses in order to operate. Neither bill has been set for hearing in the legislature. ABMP is opposed to both of these bills unless significant changes are made.
House Bill 1417 places the regulation of the massage profession under the authority of the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners. The bill
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Florida Senate Bill 500 (and companion bill: House Bill 7005, affecting massage establishments, has been scheduled for a hearing in the state legislature. Current law requires that all massage establishments, defined as “a site or premises, or portion thereof, wherein a massage therapist practices massage,” must have a state-issued license in order to operate. HB 7005 proposes to add requirements that a person operating a massage establishment may not: (1) operate a massage establishment between the
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Georgia House Bill 141 was recently introduced in the state legislature. If passed, the bill would require that all establishments that offer massage or bodywork services by a massage therapist must post a notice (1) in the establishment’s restroom and (2) near the establishment’s entrance or in another conspicuous location, which contains specified information about human trafficking and contact information for the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. The notice would have to be 8 ½ inches
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January 31, 2013
The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards invites you to consider participating in one of the following committees associated with the Licensure Renewal Program.
Ethics and Professional Practice Committee
This Committee will be responsible for developing the State-sponsored "Ethics and Professional Practice" continuing education component for the FSMTB.
Professional Development Activity Committee
The PDA Committee will be responsible for developing and reviewing applicati
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Oregon Senate Bill 387 was recently introduced in the state legislature. If passed, the bill would require that all “massage facilities,” meaning any “facility where a person engages in the practice of massage,” must obtain a massage facility permit from the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists in order to operate. This requirement would not apply to licensed massage schools or to individual massage therapists working out of their homes.
To receive a permit, a facility would be required to subm
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Colorado Senate Bill 13-026 was recently introduced in the state legislature. If passed, the bill would amend the “Michael Skolnick Medical Transparency Act of 2010” to add massage therapists and others to the list of health care professional who must disclose certain information about their practice history to the state for inclusion in a publicly available database when they are applying for or renewing their registration.
We will keep our CO members apprised of the status of the bill.
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Hawaii Senate Bill 193 was recently introduced in the state legislature. If passed, the bill would require that all massage therapy establishments in Hawaii post, in a conspicuous place, a notice measuring at least 8 ½ by 11 inches which states, “If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in any activity and cannot leave – whether it is commercial sex, housework, farm work, or any other similar activity – call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to acc
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The Idaho Board of Massage Therapy will have licensure applications available on its website after the Legislature approves it rules and regulations during the 2013 legislative session. The Board invites all practitioners to view the newly added Frequently Asked Questions page on its website for additional information.
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On 12/6/12 the leadership of seven national massage therapy organizations gathered in Englewood, Colorado for their third face-to-face meeting in the past 15 months. Several participating organizations note that they serve diverse bodywork practitioners and institutions, but as “massage therapy” is the common thread for all seven organizations, we use that term, in its broadest context, in the comments below.
Part of the agenda of that meeting was to define our reasons for convening, both as a point
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Massage Without Borders (MWB), a newly formed charitable organization, is
helping massage therapists and bodyworkers affected by Hurricane Sandy. Gloria
Coppola, massage therapist, owner of Massage Pro C.E., and founder of MWB, is
leading the efforts of more than 30 MTs to replace massage tables, raise funds
for massage students unable to pay tuition, and work to restore homes and
businesses lost in the hurricane.
“It’s been an amazing effort to help our colleagues,” Coppola says. “So many
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John Upledger, the developer of craniosacral therapy and founder of The Upledger Institute, died today, Friday, October 26. Dr. Upledger, an osteopathic physician and surgeon, was 80 years old.
The author of several texts, including Your Inner Physician and You, Dr. Upledger had served on the Alternative Medicine Program Advisory Council for the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, was a clinical researcher and professor of biomechanics at Michigan State University from 19
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California SB 1238 was signed into law by Governor Brown on September 27, 2012. The new law, which goes into effect on January 1, 2013, amends California’s voluntary massage certification statute in several ways.
First, the amendment changes the requirements for certification. The prior law allowed applicants to obtain a massage therapist certification by showing that they had either obtained a minimum of 500 hours of massage education, or passed an approved massage and bodywork competency exam.
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During the Healing Hands for Arthritis event on September 19, Massage Envy locations nationwide raised nearly $678,173 to support the Arthritis Foundation in its mission to "prevent, control, and cure arthritis." More than 800 clinics donated $10 from every massage and facial, as well as 10% of all BioFreeze, Murad, and Wyndmere product sales. "The support we received this year for Healing Hands for Arthritis was incredible," said Massage Envy Director of Communications Paula Stapley in a press release.
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As anticipated, Senate Bill 1193 was signed into law by Governor Brown on September 24, 2012. Under the new law, certain types of businesses in California, including establishments offering massage or bodywork services for compensation, must “conspicuously” post a written human trafficking notice which includes contact information for two human trafficking hotlines. However, massage establishments that use or employ only massage therapists who are certified by the California Massage Therapy Council (CA
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Applications for New Jersey licensing are now available. This is not voluntary. All massage therapists and those who practice Asian Bodywork must now have a state license in order to practice. We recommend that you begin the license application process as soon you can. The application process is entirely on-line; there are no paper applications available. We also recommend that you have access to a printer so you can print a copy of the receipt, and any other pages for your records.
To be clear – the ter
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Author, educator, practitioner, and researcher Elaine Calenda passed away the evening of Friday, August 24, surrounded by friends and family. Elaine has been an integral part of Boulder College of Massage Therapy (BCMT) since she joined the faculty in January 1992. Prior, she graduated from the Swedish Institute in 1978 and gained clinical work experience at the Center of Osteopathic & Sports Medicine in New York City.
In June, BCMT honored Elaine with its Lifetime Achievement Award. In announcing h
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*****
If your practice was mentioned in print, online, on the radio, or on TV, please let ABMP know. Send an email to differentstrokes@abmp.com with the subject line "Members in the News" and a link to the online news coverage.
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(January/February, 2013)
Eric Schiavi: Regular Massage Can Address Aches and Pains Before they Happen
Jan Swiscz: New massage therapy business focuses on mind and body
(November/December, 2012)
Rita Garnto: Mompreneur works out the kinks with massage th
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> Report online scams.
Internet Scams Target Massage Therapists
Please note! ABMP has received several reports reporting this scam. Be aware!
Massage therapists are now on the receiving end of a variation of an online con. Here's how it works: An out-of-town "client" contacts a practitioner via e-mail wanting to schedule appointments for a time in the future when he/she will be visiting the area. The appointments and times are scheduled. Shortly thereafter, the practitioner receives a cashier's c
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ABMP Members, if you’re seeking volunteers for an event you’re organizing, log in to the ABMP Members section and under Marketing Center select "Outreach and Volunteer Opportunities - Do you have an event you would like posted?"
Hospice Massage Volunteer
Sponsor: Hospice of the Twin Cities
Date: Ongoing
Location: Greater Metro Area
Contact Name: Theresa May
Contact Phone: 763-531-2424
Contact Email: mayt@hospiceofthetwincities.com
Website: www.hospiceofthetwincities.com
Use your talents
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La fecha límite para solicitar la licencia de terapista de masaje en Puerto Rico es el 16 de septiembre. Para más información acerca de la licencia, comuníquese con dcandelario@saludforhealth.pr.gov. Se require seguro para solicitar la licencia. Más información sobre el seguro de responsabilidad de ABMP.
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After Incarceration, Man Calling with Sham Job Offers and Stalking Practitioners Again
Steven Min, also known as Steven Sung and Steven Yamamoto, is out of prison and harassing massage therapists again.
Last October, ABMP reported that Min had been arrested for impersonating a public servant. Min had posted a Craigslist ad soliciting massage therapists to work on high-profile guests at the Sands Casino and make a significant amount of money for every massage session. Under the guise of an interview,
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Classified ads are posted in the ABMP.com Members section. Non-members and employers will be invoiced for $50 per posting. ABMP members can submit classifieds free of charge. Response information is included in the listing. ABMP performs this service for its members and makes no guarantee as to the validity of the listings. Listings will be removed after 60 days unless we are notified.
Post a classified in the ABMP.com Members section.
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