09/20/2007
Senate Bill 788, sponsored by Senator Gilda Jacobs, has been introduced in the Michigan Legislature. The bill would establish state licensing standards for massage therapists and create a Board of Massage Therapy to implement the process. If passed, a state license would pre-empt local regulations, only one license would be needed. It is early in the legislative process, no action is needed at this time.
To read the entire bill, please visit: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2007-2008/billintroduced/Senate/pdf/2007-SIB-0788.pdf
The bill establishes entry-level criteria for entering the profession:
- High School graduate or equivalent
- Good moral character
- 18 years old
- Passed an exam approved by the board (including National Certification Exam)
- Complete a minimum 500 hour supervised massage therapy program
- For at least one year before the effective date of the law, the practitioner has been a member, as a massage therapist, of a national professional association (ABMP qualifies); or
- Signs an affidavit that they have practiced massage therapy for at least 10 hours a week for 10 or more years; or
- Signs an affidavit that the have practiced massage therapy for at least 10 hours a week for 3 years and has obtained 300 hours of formal training from an approved school; or
- Has fulfilled the education requirement (a 500 hour massage therapy program); or
- Has fulfilled the examination requirement
State: