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:
- Removing the vague term “Massage Therapy Organization” and replacing it with “California Massage Therapy Council,” which is the nonprofit organization that oversees voluntary certification;
- Establishing protections for massage businesses that employ only California Massage Therapy Council (“CAMTC”) certified individuals by including such businesses in the law’s prohibition on local governments enforcing local massage therapy licensing laws against CAMTC certified massage therapists;
- Specifying that local governments may not charge a massage business more for a business licensing fee than it charges other professional services businesses;
- Requiring a CAMTC certified individual to include his or her name and CAMTC certification number in advertising and display the certificate at his or her place of business;
- Changing the terminology of “approved” school to “recognized” school;
- Specifying that litigation will take place in the county of CAMTC offices;
- Clarifying that conditional certificates automatically expire if the applicant doesn’t complete the process in the time allowed; and
- Add a commonly used severability clause.
State: