Georgia Law Requires Bodyworkers to Post Human Trafficking Notices

Georgia House bill 141 was amended through the process to require that only an establishment that offers massage or bodywork services by a person who is not a massage therapist must post a notice which contains specified information about human trafficking and contact information for the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. The notice will have to be 8 ½ inches by 11 inches in size. The state Department of Public Safety would make the specific text of the notice available for download on its website by August 1, 2013. Any person who failed to comply with the posting requirement would first be notified in writing by law enforcement of his or her noncompliance. A failure to correct the violation within 30 days would then result in a misdemeanor conviction and fine of up to $500, with subsequent offenses punishable by a fine of up to $1000 and up to 30 days imprisonment. Our interpretation of this new law is that all licensed massage therapists are clearly exempt. Since it is illegal to practice massage therapy without a license, we are interpreting this to mean that all bodyworkers who are exempt from the Massage Therapy Practice Act are required to post this notice. The list of practitioners would include movement educators (Feldenkrais, Trager), structural integrators, reflexologists, and those providing energy work (ABT, Polarity).