Do you want to serve the best interests of your profession and the public while ensuring ongoing competence and high standards of practice? ABMP does, and if you do too, help us support licensing efforts in Minnesota!
The legislature introduced Senate File 1131 (SF 1131) and House File 362 (HF 362), both of which would require statewide licensure for massage and Asian bodywork therapists. ABMP supports SF 1131 and HF 362 because they propose acceptable licensing requirements, licensure by prior experience (“grandfathering”) opportunities for those currently practicing, and reasonable licensing fees.
Currently, Minnesota has a patchwork of inconsistent regulations across its municipalities. Licensure would provide the industry a uniform scope of practice, higher professional standards, protection from bad actors, and accountability—positive steps toward ensuring safe and quality services, offering consumer and practitioner protection, and elevating the massage and Asian bodywork communities.
A statewide license would level the playing field for massage therapists. If you work in more than one city, you won’t have to pay for multiple city licenses, and that means more money in your pocket! Licensure would also provide the industry with:
- A unified scope of practice
- Professional standards
- Practitioner accountability
- Consumer and practitioner protection
- Title protection (no phonies!)
- More authority for law enforcement to shut down illicit massage businesses
ABMP encourages you to support SF 1131 and HF 362 and needs your help to ensure this is a priority for the Minnesota legislature. The Minnesota session is short, so we need to move fast.
Write a letter to your elected officials sharing why licensure is an important and necessary step to advance the massage and Asian bodywork therapy communities.
Find your representatives and senators here.
Share with them how a statewide license would benefit Minnesota. You can use our sample advocacy letter and adapt it to reflect your unique experience. Let’s advance the massage and bodywork professions together!
If you’d like to learn more about the specifics of SF 1131 and HF 362—like how you’d qualify for licensure—read our Minnesota blog, where we break down the highlights of the bills.