Recent News and Legislative Updates

Board Revises Rules for Advertising

04/06/2010

The Georgia Board of Massage Therapy has revised rules regarding advertising. Massage therapists in Georgia must now abide by the two rules listed below.
  • Actively licensed massage therapists shall include their Georgia massage therapy license number on all forms of advertisement no later than October 31, 2010.
  • Establishments providing massage therapy services by more than one licensed massage therapist shall include on all forms of advertisement no later than October 31, 2010, the following statement: “Georgia Licensed Massage Therapists.”

Chicago Proposes Change in the Zoning Ordinance

04/02/2010

The City of Chicago’s Committee on Zoning passed a motion on March 25, 2010, to amend its zoning ordinance affecting massage establishments. The amendment, sponsored by Alderman Ray Suarez (31st Ward), would prohibit “massage establishments” from operating in B Zoning Districts, moving them into C Zoning Districts only. The vote passed 2-0, but the majority of committee members did not vote.

Minnesota Bill to Create Voluntary Registration for Massage Therapists Dies

03/23/2010

Senate File 1233, the Senate’s version of the House’s 1503, has stalled in the Senate Health, Housing, and Family Security committee. Following a hearing on Monday, March 15, 2010, the bill failed to secure a vote and was held over without further action. The bill is considered dead and will likely be re-introduced next year.

Minnesota Considers Adopting Voluntary Registration for Massage Therapists

03/05/2010

If passed, House File 1503, would create a voluntary registration credential for massage therapists and create the Registered Massage Therapist Advisory Council to advise and assist the Board of Nursing in implementing the law. ABMP cannot support the bill in its current form; however, we are working with the AMTA chapter and legislative sponsor with the hope of amending the bill to address our concerns. The following are areas that currently are cause for ABMP’s concern: School Approval

Georgia Legislature Considers Amending the Massage Therapy Licensing Law

03/05/2010

Senate Bill 364, authored by Senator Cecil Staton, would amend the Massage Therapy Practice Act. If passed, the bill would amend the licensing law in three primary ways:
  1. If convicted for a sexual offense, a person's massage therapist license would be suspended.
  2. The penalties for violations to the massage therapy law would increase.
  3. Local jurisdictions would be required to regulate massage businesses.

Wisconsin Committee Passes Bill

02/24/2010

AB 588 was passed favorably out of the Assembly Committee on Health and Healthcare Reform with two small changes.
  • The Examining Board was changed to an Affiliated Credentialing Board. A credentialing board has similar responsibilities to an examining board. Members are appointed by the governor and subject to senate confirmation, they would have authority to issue administrative rules interpreting the licensing law, and they would have authority to investigate complaints and discipline licensees.

Kentucky Considers Amending Massage Therapy Practice Act

02/24/2010

For the last two years, the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Massage Therapy and a few representatives from both ABMP and the AMTA-Kentucky Chapter have been discussing changes to the Massage Therapy Practice Act. House Bill 180, sponsored by Representative Ruth Ann Palumbo, is the result of those discussions. If passed, HB 180 would make a few small changes to the existing law:
  • An exemption for instructors who are residents of another state who are in Kentucky to teach short term would be clarified.

California Regulatory Update

02/17/2010

Les Sweeney, NCTM President, ABMP The blogosphere has heated up lately regarding implementation of statewide massage regulations in California—we think that’s healthy. The massage community needs to be engaged in offering its opinions. It took six years to get a bill passed; how the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) implements the law is just as important.

Student Clinic Issue Resolved for Michigan Proprietary Schools

02/12/2010

Senate bill 786, sponsored by Senator Sanborn, was approved by Governor Granholm on January 4, 2010. The law amends how proprietary schools are licensed and regulated in Michigan as previously defined by law. ABMP became involved with this effort a few years ago when we were contacted by several proprietary schools concerned that the Proprietary School Unit (the division authorized to enforce the Proprietary School Act) were enforcing a provision in the law that did not allow massage therapy schools to sell goods or services provided by its students.

Kansas Committee Does Not Recommend Licensure of Massage Therapists

12/14/2009

As reported in November, The KDHE Occupational Credentialing Technical Review Committee has been evaluating the American Massage Therapy Association’s sunrise document to determine whether the profession meets the criteria for regulation in Kansas. On Friday, December 11, 2009, the committee voted not to recommend to the state legislature the licensure of massage therapists in Kansas, stating the profession did not meet the criteria.

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