04/25/2019
Legislators in Ohio are considering Senate Bill 105 (SB105), which modifies existing Ohio massage statutes that address human trafficking and clarifies responsibilities of different government entities. The bill removes the ability of townships to issue individual massage therapy licenses and clarifies that only the state can issue professional licenses. It also indicates townships and municipal corporations are still allowed to regulate massage establishments by requiring the establishment to go through a registration and fee process. The definition of "massage therapy" is modified in the bill but it does not change the scope of practice. The modified definition is written to restrict an unlicensed individual from using language close to "massage therapy" to present themselves as a licensed therapist.
The ultimate goal of this bill is to strengthen existing massage licensing law by consolidating individual licensing at the state level rather than through townships who have not had consistent licensing practices. The bill writer and sponsors believe this bill will more easily allow for the identification and investigation of potentially unlicensed and unlawful conduct under the guide of the massage profession.
ABMP supports this bill.
SB105 is sponsored by Senator Andrew Brenner and has been referred to the senate committee on Health, Human Services, and Medicaid. Committee leadership include Senators Dave Burke, Stephen A. Huffman, and Nickie J. Antonio.
If you would like to comment on this bill we recommend you contact your elected senator and representative (find their information here) and the senators listed above.