South Carolina

South Carolina adopted new rules that affect minimum massage therapy educational requirements, establishment and sole practitioner establishment operations, establishment licensing, and more.

The South Carolina Panel for Massage/Bodywork proposed rules as a necessary step to implement the new requirements outlined in Senate Bill 227. Submit written comments support of, or in opposition to, the proposed rules no later than October 24, 2022.

Senate Bill 227 amends the massage therapy scope of practice, definitions, fees, license qualifications, and misconduct. The bill also adds the following new sections: public roster, licensure by endorsement, and establishment licensure.

Senate Bill 227 (SB 227) is essentially a cleanup bill, but also seeks to update licensing requirements, create establishment licensure, increase training hours, and modify fees. SB 227 is out of the Senate, but the South Carolina legislative session adjourned on May 13, 2021. SB 227 will not pass through the legislature this session, but will go through the House in 2022.

The South Carolina Massage/Bodywork Panel will be discussing the topic of massage establishment licensing at its regular meeting on August 10, from 9am-5pm, at Synergy Business Park, Kingstree Building, Conference Room 105, 110 Centerview Drive, Columbia, SC 29210. The state is considering legislation which would require that massage establishments hold a state license, in addition to the state licensure of individual therapists. Many states across the country either have enacted establishment licensure or are considering it, in an attempt to combat human trafficking.

Senate Bill S. 214, signed into law by Governor Nikki Haley on June 7, 2013, amends South Carolina’s Massage/Bodywork Practice Act (MPA) in several ways. Many of the changes are minor wording changes. However, there are some important substantive changes as well. Previously, the massage profession in South Carolina was regulated by two separate panels under the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation: an “Advisory Panel” and a “Disciplinary Panel.” S.

The South Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy is now accepting the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) offered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB: www.fsmtb.org) as a qualification for licensure.