Colorado

From the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies: New Colorado legislation requires all massage therapists in Colorado must hold a certificate of registration by April 1, 2009. The Colorado Division of Registrations is holding public meetings on Thursday, December 18, 2008, to discuss these changes. The free session is an opportunity to learn more and ask questions about new registration and licensing rules, educational requirements, and important deadlines.   Date: Thursday, December 18, 2008

On Monday, November 17, 2008, the Rules and Regulation Hearing was completed at the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). The applications for state registration will be available on 12/1/2008 at: http://www.dora.state.co.us/massage-therapists/index.htm

The Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) is hosting an information session on Saturday November 8, 2008 from 9am-noon. The purpose is to provide professionals impacted by new legislation (i.e. Massage Therapists and Occupational Therapists) with information regarding the Department and the new registration requirements for both professions. Please see the link below for additional information: http://www.dora.state.co.us/registrations/2008_LegOutreachAnnounce.pdf

In addition to SB 219, which requires the state registration of massage therapists, two other bills affecting massage therapists also passed the legislature and were signed into law by Governor Ritter. SB 011

Senate Bill 219, providing for the state registration of massage therapists, was signed into law by Governor Ritter on June 2, 2008. The new law goes into effect on July 1, 2008. However, applications for state registration will not become available until April 1, 2009 at the earliest. There is no action for you to take at this time. ABMP will continue to keep members informed. The law will benefit the massage therapy community in three primary ways:

• Minimum training requirements and scope of practice are defined.
• An avenue for consumer complaint is established.

SB 219 passed the Colorado legislature on Monday, May 5, and is now awaiting Governor Ritter's action. The governor has three choices: sign the bill into law, allow the bill to become law without his signature, or veto the bill. He has 30 days to decide. ABMP will continue to keep members informed.

SB 219, sponsored by Senator Chris Romer, has been advancing through the Colorado General Assembly. Currently the bill is scheduled to be heard by the House Appropriations Committee. A lot has changed since the introduction of the bill and first committee hearing on April 16, 2008. Due to a compromise with the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), the bill has been amended from a licensure act to a mandatory registration program, which is a less rigid regulatory program. If passed, the bill would still benefit the massage therapy community in three primary ways:

Senate Bill 219, sponsored by Senator Chris Romer, has been introduced in the Colorado General Assembly. The bill has been assigned to the Business, Labor and Technology Committee. If passed, SB 219 would establish a Massage Therapy Practice Act under the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Registrations. Licenses would be required of all massage therapists. If the bill does pass, massage therapists will be impacted as follows:

Massage Therapists Evaluate A Predictable Response from DORA Colorado law requires that individuals or groups proposing legislation to regulate any occupation or profession first submit information to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) for the purpose of sunrise review. Sunrise review is essentially an analysis of an occupation with the intent being to only impose regulation on occupations when it is necessary to protect public health, safety, or welfare.

The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) released the Sunrise Review regarding the regulation of massage therapists on October 15, 2007. Predictably, the review did not recommend that the state regulate massage therapists. A copy of the report can be found at:
http://www.dora.state.co.us/opr/archive/2007MassageTherapists.pdf.

Additional comments will be posted after an analysis of the report is complete.