ABMP Government Relations Works for You
• ABMP’s Government Relations Department advocates on behalf of our members for reasonable regulation of the massage therapy profession in all 50 states. Looking for your state board contact info? Click here.
• We work with our members, massage therapy boards, state legislatures, and massage therapy coalitions nationwide to ensure that the regulation of the profession stays focused on public protection and does not overly burden massage professionals with high licensing costs or bureaucratic red tape. Occasionally we may even work with local governments, though we don’t have sufficient resources to be on the scene in thousands of local jurisdictions.
• Throughout the year we meet with massage professionals, licensees, and regulators in every state to learn about issues facing professionals locally and help craft solutions. To learn about our most recent legislative and regulatory activity and final results, visit our Legislative and Policy Developments page.
• We keep our members informed about regulation that’s coming down the pike and let them know how to get involved in the process and have their voices heard.
What Can You Do to Engage in the Process?
• Get in touch with us! Let us know what regulation-related issues are concerning you, and also what’s working. Tell us what you’re hearing in your state, city, or town regarding massage legislation and regulation, past, present, or future. Let us know if we can help advocate on your behalf.
• Get involved! Look up your state’s massage therapy board, find out when the next board meeting is, and attend! Learn about what your state’s board is thinking about and planning for, especially with regard to rules and legislation. Submit public comments to let the board know your opinions. Apply for a board seat, attend meetings of massage coalitions, and get to know other massage professionals in your area.
• Want to work on local issues? When your city is looking at local regulation of massage therapists, engage with your city council. Educate your city decision makers about what legitimate massage therapy practice is and looks like. Attend council meetings and public hearings when issues involving massage therapy are being discussed.
A Broad Historical Perspective
From 1996 to 2016, our energies were directed to states initially adopting statewide regulation of massage therapists. We worked for regulation fairly balanced between public protection and equitable treatment of massage therapists, including “grandfathering” provisions to help long-established practitioners obtain a license. More recently, ABMP staff has spent the majority of its time working with state boards to implement regulations, advocating for methods to address human trafficking in a reasonable manner that does not penalize massage therapists, addressing bills with state legislators, and working to let our members know what is happening in their states and how they can have an impact on what affects them. It’s a dynamic, evolving universe. ABMP never loses sight of fair, reasonable rules for massage practitioners.