The Wisconsin Massage Therapy and Bodywork Affiliated Credentialing Board has announced that beginning with the license renewal period that starts on March 1, 2015, each Massage Therapist/Bodywork Therapist must complete 24 hours of continuing education (CE), including two hours of ethics, to renew a license. License renewal periods run from March 1 of every odd-numbered year to February 28 of the next odd-numbered year. This means that you must complete the required 24 hours of CE by February 28, 2017.

AB 1147 was signed into law by Governor Brown on September 18, 2014. The bill authorizes the continuation of statewide voluntary certification for massage therapists by the California Massage Therapy Council. In addition the bill does the following:

• Reauthorizes the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) organization until 1/1/2017.

Recently introduced NJ Assembly Bill 3469 and identical NJ Senate Bill 1608 propose to make two important changes to New Jersey’s massage therapy licensing law.

Maryland HB 1157, which we discussed in our February 2014 legislative update, has been signed by Governor O’Malley and is now state law.  The law goes into effect on October 1, 2014, and impacts only those people who receive their massage license or registration for the first time on or after October 1, 2014.  The changes made by the new law do not affect people who hold a current Maryland massage license or registration, or people who receive their license or registration between now and September 30, 2014. The new law:

On April 1, 2014, Governor Herbert signed into law two bills which create new exemptions from the massage licensing law.

House Bill 207 provides that practitioners whose practices are limited to the manipulation of the soft tissues of the hands, feet, and outer ears, including practitioners of reflexology and foot zone therapy, are not be required to have a state massage therapy license, as long as:

As we noted in our April 2012 legislative update, Senate Bill 6103 amended Washington’s massage licensing statute by requiring that reflexologists who do not have a Washington State massage license must obtain a state reflexology certification (also referred to as a credential).  The state has developed rules to implement the change, which can be read here.

Last fall we notified our California members that Senate Bill 1193, which added section 52.6 to the California Civil Code, would be requiring that massage establishments -- except those that employ only California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC)-certified therapists -- must conspicuously post written human trafficking notices.  The law is now in effect. As a result,

***** 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. ***** (March/April, 2014) Valecia Weeks: Massage ... Cellulite's Worst Enemy