Washington

Washington’s personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile is available to help support state agencies, counties, and other partners to meet COVID-19 PPE requests through October 31, 2021. Health-care providers and businesses are encouraged to order PPE to help return the state’s PPE stockpile back to pre-COVID levels before it expires.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued Proclamation 21-14 on August 9, 2021, which requires health-care workers, including massage therapists, to be fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccination by October 18, 2021.

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries issued new guidance addressing how to verify employee vaccination status, how to protect unvaccinated staff, and when employees need to wear masks. Per the new guidance, individuals who work in the health-care industry, such as massage therapists, must continue to wear a mask while at work.

To address the ongoing difficulty in obtaining hands-on continuing education during COVID-19, the Washington Board of Massage issued Policy Number BOM 20-01.2 that pushes the date back for massage therapists to meet CE requirements through December 31, 2021. The Board also adopted new massage therapy rules effective September 1, 2021.

The Washington Board of Massage revised the Washington Administrative Code in August 2020. The rules are now final and are effective September 1, 2021. The rules amend definitions, the out-of-state application process, transfer programs, school approval, training hours, faculty, continuing education, standards of practice, and recordkeeping. They also create a new section on gluteal cleft and perineum massage.

Senate Bill 5229 requires licensees to complete health equity continuing education training at least once every four years to address how bias, racism, and poverty are health inequities and how to develop skills to care effectively for patients.

The Washington State Board of Massage's Multicultural Health and Equity Committee is having their first meeting April 27, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. PST in a virtual format open to the public to join.

The Washington Board of Massage revised the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) in August 2020. The new rules increase the minimum number of education and training hours from 500 to 625 hours. The new rules are effective September 1, 2021.

The Washington Board of Massage is accepting applications for a professional member. Applications are due by August 14, 2020.

Many counties entered Phase 2 in Governor Jay Inslee's Safe Start Washington plan—a county-by-county approach to reopening the state.