Florida

The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) has filed a legal challenge to the Florida Board of Massage Therapy's decision to use the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards' (FSMTB) Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) exclusively beginning in May 2009. The NCBTMB charges that the FSMTB has not yet proved their ability to administer the exam efficiently, there is a conflict of interest because the chair of the Florida board is also the vice president of the FSMTB, and that the NCBTMB will lose revenue because of its exclusion. ABMP supports the Florida board’s decision to use the MBLEx exclusively in May 2009. As a member of the FSMTB, the board has been involved in the development of the MBLEx and has direct input to the oversight of the exam. The National Certification Exam offered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB), does not have accountability to licensing boards. NCBTMB is a private organization.