California Regulatory Update

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 California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) implements the law is just as important.

At ABMP, we have heard about the massage certification issue from a significant proportion of our 12,600 California members. Most simply want to understand what the impact is likely to be on their practice options. Many of those folks have applied for CAMTC certification, some with assistance or encouragement from our staff. A meaningful proportion of applicants have later contacted ABMP because of frustration that their applications, while seemingly complete, have not been acted upon. While we hope to have more information soon on this question, ABMP has no ability to affect certification decisions. All an applicant can do is to keep contacting the management company hired by the CAMTC Board of Directors at camtc@amgroup.us or 916- 669-5336.

The most current issue being debated is a Board decision to hire a CEO for the critical next 12–18 month period, and in particular how much it would be appropriate to pay this individual. ABMP wants to ensure that an experienced, capable person is chosen. Individuals with executive experience at this level of challenge come with six-figure compensation expectations. At the same time, the CAMTC is a non-profit organization with responsibilities similar both to boards regulating other professions and to other quasi-governmental organizations. ABMP believes that, in setting a CEO salary, there needs to be some sense of proportionality and recognition of the economic circumstances of CAMTC's constituents-California massage therapy practitioners. After all, it is the aggregation of the $150 application fees paid by thousands of practitioners who pay CAMTC's bills. As a point of reference, the California Board of Registered Nursing (which oversees the regulation of 370,000 RNs in CA) is currently seeking an Executive Officer (their chief staff officer). The advertised compensation range is between $105,000–$114,000 annually.

A recent Laura Allen blog posted on Massageprofessionals.com highlighted the CEO issue. It has generated a number of responses, including responses from CAMTC board members; one is from CAMTC Chair Beverly May. You are encouraged to read the diverse views expressed and add your opinion.

The CAMTC Board held its regularly scheduled meeting February 11. In the context of approving a 2010 budget, the CEO compensation issue came up. In essence, the issue was pushed down the road. The budget approved included a range of possible CEO compensation- $10,000 to $22,500 per month salary plus up to $5,000 per month for benefits plus mandated payroll taxes.

CAMTC Chair May presented a proposed budget for adoption calling for CEO salary and benefits at an annual rate of $330,000 per year (the maximum of the aforementioned range). CAMTC Board member Bob Benson (ABMP's Chairman and one of two ABMP representatives on the CAMTC) proposed an amendment to reduce that figure to an annual rate of $180,000.

After much discussion, the amendment to reduce the amount to $15,000 per month (i.e. $180,000 per year) was defeated by a vote of 9-4. All CAMTC Board of Directors meetings are open to the public; the information below reports the publicly taken roll call vote:

Mason Myers, a CAMTC board member appointed by the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools, had made clear in advance of the meeting that he would vote "Yes" on the proposed amendment, but, after staying on a conference phone for four hours while other agenda items were moved ahead of the budget discussion, had to leave the discussion to prepare for undergoing knee surgery.

To summarize, representatives of ABMP and three of the four school associations favored the lower CEO compensation level. Representatives from AMTA, American Massage Council, and Hands On Trade Association did not support the proposed compensation reduction.

ABMP will continue to update members regarding the California certification process, including the actions of the CAMTC Board.