Our last Virginia Legislative Update discussed 2012 HB 543, which initially proposed a new mandatory state license requirement for Virginia massage therapists.   The bill was substantially amended during the legislative process, and the final version of the bill made only minor changes to the existing law which did not include a mandatory licensing provision.   The amended bill became law in April 2012, and is codified at

2009 Texas SB 854, discussed in our 2009 Legislative Update, failed in the state legislature and has not been reintroduced.  The current law governing massage establishments in Texas can be found in the Texas Massage Therapy Act, which is available here. 

Oregon SB 298, discussed in our previous Legislative Update, was signed into law by Governor Brown on June 18, 2015, with certain important changes over the original version of the bill. 

In general, the new law regulates massage and bodywork practitioners in same manner as current law with a few changes; changes which should have little effect on current Oregon licensees. The new law goes into effect January 1, 2016.

2013 Missouri House Bill 659, which we discussed in our March 2013 Legislative Update, did not pass in the state legislature in 2013, and has not been reintroduced. The state’s mandatory licensing law remains in place. We will keep you updated on any future licensing proposals in Missouri.

Our last New Mexico Legislative Update, issued in May 2009, discussed then-proposed changes to the state’s massage therapy regulations.   To read the state regulations currently in place as of July 2015, please go to the New Mexico Board of Massage Therapy website and click on “Chapter 7 Massage Therapists.”

2013 Missouri House Bill 659, which we discussed in our March 2013 Legislative Update, did not pass in the state legislature in 2013, and has not been reintroduced.  The state’s mandatory licensing law remains in place.  We will keep you updated on any future licensing proposals in Missouri. 

Our last New Mexico Legislative Update, issued in May 2009, discussed then-proposed changes to the state’s massage therapy regulations.To read the state regulations currently in place as of July 2015, please go to the New Mexico Board of Massage Therapy website and click on “Chapter 7 Massage Therapists.”

In our March 2015 legislative update we discussed that the North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy (NCBMBT) had proposed rules to begin licensing massage establishments.  ABMP is opposed to regulatory boards attempting to regulate businesses since local jurisdictions usually regulate businesses already if they find a need to do so.

Vermont is one of five states in the US that currently does not have state licensing or other state regulation of massage therapists. There have been two bills introduced in the last two years that intended to regulate the profession; however, neither bill was written or endorsed by the massage community. The bills were written with the intent to curb human trafficking – not regulate a health profession.