Recent News and Legislative Updates

Ohio Bill Could Have Negative Impact on Massage Therapists

10/28/2011

House Bill 259, introduced on June 14, 2011, proposes to exempt individuals who practice energy work or movement education from Ohio’s health care professional licensing laws under which massage therapists are licensed as “limited practitioners of medicine.” The bill contains a lengthy list of “complementary or alternative health care services” that would be exempt from licensing if the bill were to pass. Many of the health care services listed in the bill as exempt are currently regulated under massage therapy and are commonly accepted synonyms for massage and/or bodywork therapies.

If you currently have less than 250 hours of massage education and you intend to become certified by the California Massage Therapy Council, you need to act now.

10/12/2011

After January 1, 2012 you will need proof of at least 250 hours of massage education in order to apply for statewide certification. Between now and the end of the year you can still apply with only 100 hours or by taking an exam*. More and more cities, counties, employers and clients are requiring CAMTC's certification, so you do not want to miss the deadline for this opportunity to get certified.
  • You will have the freedom to practice anywhere in California without the need to obtain local massage permits from cities or counties where you provide massage.

Technical Changes Made to Statewide Voluntary Certification Law

08/19/2011

On August 1, 2011, Governor Brown signed into law the ABMP-supported Assembly Bill 619 that makes some changes to the existing voluntary certification statute. These changes, mostly technical in nature, do not change the rules on how you can obtain your statewide certification, which allows you to practice massage therapy anywhere in California without worrying about compliance with local massage therapy laws. The changes made by AB 619 include:

    NY Proposes Rules for CE Requirements – Comment Now

    07/18/2011

    NY Update on Continuing Education Requirements

    Senate Bill 5431 was signed into law on August 30, 2010. Beginning January 1, 2012, the law requires massage therapists to complete 36 hours of continuing education (CE) during each triennial registration period. The State Department of Education (Department), Office of the Professions, with input from the State Board of Massage Therapy, has proposed rules regarding the implementation of the new continuing education requirements. The proposal was published on June 29, 2011.

    Oregon Exempts Certain Practitioners from Massage Licensing

    05/19/2011

    SB 454 was signed by Governor Kitzhaber on 5/16/2011. The law exempts individuals who are practicing energy work or movement education from massage therapy licensing provided that the individual's services are not designated or implied to be massage or massage therapy and he or she is “certified by a professional organization or credentialing agency.” The State Board of Massage Therapists has the authority to verify that a practitioner claiming to be exempt is “certified” as required.

    Idaho SB 1078 Withdrawn by Sponsor

    05/19/2011

    SB 1078 was formally withdrawn by Senator Hammond (the bill sponsor) when it became clear that Senate Health and Welfare Committee would not have time to consider it. While on the surface it may seem disappointing to many people, the good news is that we have been able to complete an excellent draft bill this year that has the support of key massage therapy organizations, other licensed healthcare professions, and state regulatory departments. If the political climate is more favorable in 2012, expect the bill to be introduced again.

    New Advertising Requirements in Washington

    05/19/2011

    HB 1133, signed into law by Governor Gregoire on May 3, 2011, will require massage practitioners to include their name and license number on all advertisements and conspicuously display his or her license in his or her principal place of business. If the massage practitioner does not have a principal place of business or conducts business in multiple locations, he or she must have a copy of his or her license available for inspection while performing any activities related to massage therapy. The law goes into effect on July 22, 2011.

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