House Bill 1440 was introduced in February 2021 and was amended March 17, 2021. The bill would allow online education for an entire massage therapy training program and in-person education by a master massage therapist or instructor at a spa or massage clinic if the clinic or spa has a relationship with a massage therapy school.
Arkansas
Dept of Health
4815 W Markham Street, Slot #8
Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: 501-683-1448
Fax: 501-682-5640
Email: adh.massage@arkansas.gov
> Website
Title: Licensed Massage Therapist, Master Massage Therapist, Instructor
Requirement: 500 hours, pass either the MBLEx or NCBTMB and the Arkansas Massage Therapy Law examinations, background check and fingerprints
Renewal: 18 hours/2 years
The Arkansas House of Representatives introduced House Bill 1440 in February, which would allow online education for an entire massage therapy training program and in-person education by a master massage therapist or instructor at a spa or massage clinic.
The Arkansas Department of Health (the Department) is proposing numerous revisions to the “Rules for Cosmetology in Arkansas.” ASCP, AHP, and ANP have summarized the changes below.
The Arkansas Department of Health (the Department) is proposing numerous revisions to the “Rules for Massage Therapy in Arkansas.” ABMP has summarized the changes below.
On February 14 we notified you of Arkansas House Bill 1394 (HB1394), a bill to remove the tuberculosis (TB) test requirement to obtain or renew a massage therapy license.
Arkansas House Bill 1394 (HB1394) is quickly moving through the legislature. HB1394 removes the requirement of a tuberculosis test for massage therapists to get licensed.
Arkansas HB 1562 has now been signed into law. The final version of the bill does not include Bowenwork exclusion or the registration requirement mentioned in our previous Legislative Update. The new law does extend the definition of prohibited sexual misconduct to include an express prohibition against “sexual activity with consent of or at the request of a client,” and also adds new options for late license renewal by licensees who are on active military duty.
AR S 145 was passed by the Arkansas state legislature and has been signed into law. The new law abolishes the Arkansas State Board of Massage Therapy and transfers all of the Board’s powers, duties, and functions, including rulemaking, licensing, and adjudications, to the Arkansas State Board of Health. The main provisions of the law go into effect on October 1, 2015.
AR S 145 was recently introduced in the Arkansas state legislature. The bill proposes to amend the Arkansas massage therapy law by abolishing the State Board of Massage Therapy and transferring all of the Board’s powers, duties, and functions, including rulemaking, licensing, and adjudications, to the Arkansas State Board of Health. We will keep you informed of important developments on this bill.
Two new bills introduced in the Arkansas legislature, HB 1562 and HB 1589, seek to exempt practitioners of Bowen therapy and Bowen techniques from the state’s massage licensure requirement. Under these bills, Bowen practitioners would not be required to hold a state massage license to practice in Arkansas as long as they are certified by a professional or credentialing agency which (1) requires a minimum level of training, demonstr