In 2008, an important first step toward statewide regulation was taken when California passed a voluntary certification credential for massage therapists. Once obtained, it exempts massage therapists from having to become licensed in every city in which they work. This credential is potentially…
Recent News and Legislative Updates
The Georgia Board of Massage Therapy has revised rules regarding advertising. Massage therapists in Georgia must now abide by the two rules listed below.
- Actively licensed massage therapists shall include their Georgia massage therapy license number on all forms of advertisement no…
The City of Chicago's Committee on Zoning passed a motion on March 25, 2010, to amend its zoning ordinance affecting massage establishments. The amendment, sponsored by Alderman Ray Suarez (31st Ward), would prohibit "massage establishments" from operating in B Zoning Districts, moving them into…
Senate File 1233, the Senate's version of the House's 1503, has stalled in the Senate Health, Housing, and Family Security committee. Following a hearing on Monday, March 15, 2010, the bill failed to secure a vote and was held over without further action. The bill is considered dead and will…
If passed, House File 1503, would create a voluntary registration credential for massage therapists and create the Registered Massage Therapist Advisory Council to advise and assist the Board of Nursing in implementing the law. ABMP cannot support the bill in its current form; however, we are…
Senate Bill 364, authored by Senator Cecil Staton, would amend the Massage Therapy Practice Act. If passed, the bill would amend the licensing law in three primary ways:
- If convicted…
AB 588 was passed favorably out of the Assembly Committee on Health and Healthcare Reform with two small changes.
- The Examining Board was changed to an Affiliated Credentialing Board. A credentialing board has similar responsibilities to an examining board. Members…
For the last two years, the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Massage Therapy and a few representatives from both ABMP and the AMTA-Kentucky Chapter have been discussing changes to the Massage Therapy Practice Act. House Bill 180, sponsored by Representative Ruth Ann Palumbo, is the result of…
Les Sweeney, NCTM
President, ABMP
The blogosphere has heated up lately regarding implementation of statewide massage regulations in California-we think that's healthy. The massage community needs to be engaged in offering its opinions. It took six years to get a bill passed; how the…
Senate bill 786, sponsored by Senator Sanborn, was approved by Governor Granholm on January 4, 2010. The law amends how proprietary schools are licensed and regulated in Michigan as previously defined by law. ABMP became involved with this effort a few years ago when we were contacted by several…