Pennsylvania

House Bill 2499, a legislative proposal to license massage therapists, passed the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee by a vote of 12-2 on Wednesday, September 17. The bill still has to clear several hurdles before passing, including votes on the Senate floor, Appropriations, then a vote in the House to concur with Senate amendments. If passed, the bill would allow existing practitioners to qualify for a license without obtaining additional education or taking an exam. To qualify for a license under this grandfathering provision an applicant would be required to demonstrate they have actively practiced massage therapy and meet ONE of the following requirements:

1. Has been in active, continuous practice for a minimum of 5 years; OR
2. Has passed a massage therapy exam that is part of a certification program accredited by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA); OR
3. Has completed a minimum of 500 hours of massage education; OR
4. Has completed at least 100 hours of massage education and passed the National Exam for State Licensure (NESL) offered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB); OR
5. Has completed at least 100 hours of massage education and passed the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) offered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB).

Once a massage therapist obtains a license through the grandfathering provision, the only requirement for maintenance of his or her license would be to complete 24 hours continuing education for renewal every two years. To qualify for licensure after the grandfathering provision expires, an applicant must have completed a minimum 600 hour massage therapy program and pass an exam approved or administered by the board. All licensees would be required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of continuing education each two-year renewal cycle. Professions exempt from massage therapy licensure would include energy work, movement education, and reflexology. ABMP’s initial concerns with the bill have been addressed and we are now supportive of the passage of HB 2499. The exam language allows the board to evaluate possible exam options and decide on one or more acceptable exams as a qualification for licensure. The bill clearly pre-empts local regulations so that massage therapists will only have to obtain one state license to practice anywhere in the state. Read the entire bill. ***************** In the past few days the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork has sent a legislative alert to their certificants in PA stating that, in their view, it is critical that HB 2499 require new applicants for licensure to pass an exam that is NCCA accredited. Ironically, the NCBTMB exams are the only exams that are NCCA accredited because they are the only private certification organization in the profession. NCBTMB’s proposal would in effect ensure a monopoly for their examinations. ABMP advocates for the inclusion of general exam language to allow state massage therapy boards to determine which exam(s) is acceptable as a qualification for licensure. NCBTMB no longer offers the only exams to the profession. The Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx), offered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), is administered by the twenty-eight member boards of the FSMTB who essentially “own” the MBLEx and are able to establish the policies that pertain to the exam. The FSMTB is not a certification program and therefore cannot be NCCA accredited. However, it is accountable to the regulatory boards. Learn more about the FSMTB at www.fsmtb.org.