Recent News and Legislative Updates

Bills Would Crack Down on Unlicensed Practice and Protect Therapists’ Rights to Work from Home

02/27/2009

House Bill 5883, sponsored by Representative Orange, would establish criminal liability and penalties for those who engage in the unlicensed practice of massage therapy. The bill was assigned to the Joint Committee on Public Health but a hearing has not been scheduled yet. ABMP supports HB 5883.

Colorado Registration Deadline Fast Approaching

02/26/2009

The deadline for massage therapists to become state registered in the state of Colorado is April 1, 2009. You must be state registered by April to continue practicing. This is a mandatory registration. Applications and detailed instructions can be found at: http://www.dora.state.co.us/massage-therapists/licensure.htm Please note: Fingerprinting and background checks are mandatory and can take up to 12 weeks to be processed, start this process immediately.

Proposed Bill Could Negatively Impact Massage Therapists

02/13/2009

House Bill 64, sponsored by Representative Angelo Saviano, was introduced to the Illinois General Assembly in January. HB 64 would amend the Medical Practice Act to allow any person licensed under it (physicians, chiropractors) to delegate tasks or duties to licensed or unlicensed personnel who have the training or experience to perform the tasks or duties so delegated. HB 64 does not define what constitutes “training” or “experience.”

Massachusetts Facility/Establishment Licensure

02/11/2009

The regulations for Facility licensure are now in effect. Locations offering massage in the Commonwealth are required to have a current Massage Establishment License. Penalties of up to $1,000 can be assigned for the first violation, so do not delay in submitting your application. The application can be found at: http://www.mass.gov/Eoca/docs/dpl/boards/mt/mt_establishment_application.pdf

Interested in being appointed to the Pennsylvania Board of Massage?

02/05/2009

There is no formal application process offered by the governor's office. In Pennsylvania, the first step is to contact your state representative and/or state senator and let them know you are a constituent interested in being appointed to the new massage therapy board and you would like their help. They should know the process for submitting your name to the governor's office.

Michigan Board of Massage Therapy

01/23/2009

This notice is intended to give those interested in applying for a board appointment a better idea of the task at hand, time commitment, and reimbursement. Of the eleven members appointed to the board, seven will be massage therapists and four will be public members.  The board will receive guidance from professionals within the Department of Community Health (DCH) to write rules and regulations to implement the new law. DCH provides a general framework and the board fills in the details. Here are a few examples of what the board will discuss and create policies on:

    Indiana State Certification Update and Volunteer Opportunity

    01/14/2009

    Applications for state certification will be available the first week of February. They will be posted on the State Board of Massage Therapy website: http://www.in.gov/pla/massage.htm State certification is a title protection act. Two titles are protected - "Certified Massage Therapist" (CMT) and "Massage Therapist"(MT). Only practitioners using these titles need to apply for state certification.

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