Under Maryland HB 208, which was recently signed into law by Governor Hogan, Maryland massage therapists no longer have to have their trade names preapproved by the State Board of Chiropractic and Massage Therapy Examiners.
Under Maryland HB 208, which was recently signed into law by Governor Hogan, Maryland massage therapists no longer have to have their trade names preapproved by the State Board of Chiropractic and Massage Therapy Examiners.
Our last legislative update discussed 2011 Massachusetts Senate Bill 90, which proposed to amend the state’s massage licensing law by, among other things, increasing the classroom hours required for licensure from 650 to 900 hours. SB 90 did not pass in the state legislature and has not been reintroduced in subsequent legislative sessions. We will keep you updated on future legislation affecting massage therapists in Massachusetts.
Our last Iowa legislative update discussed 2012 HB 2126, which proposed to change the 600-hour massage education requirement for licensure in Iowa. HB 2126 did not pass, and has not been reintroduced. The 600 hour education requirement therefore remains in place in Iowa. We will keep you updated on future legislation affecting the massage profession in Iowa.
Indiana HB 1360, which proposed that massage therapists be subject to the same general standards of practice as members of other health professions in Indiana, failed in the state legislature and will not become law. We will continue to keep you updated on legislative proposals affecting massage therapists in Indiana.
2014 Alabama House Bill 119, discussed in our previous legislative update, did not pass in the Alabama legislature in 2014, and was not reintroduced in the 2015 legislative session. We will keep our members apprised of any future legislation affecting massage therapists in Alabama.
Washington HB 1252, discussed in our last Washington legislative update, has been signed into law. Under the version of the bill that was passed, massage and reflexology business owners are now subject to criminal penalties for allowing unlicensed practice in their businesses. The law states that any person who, “with knowledge or criminal negligence,” allows the unlicensed practice of massage or reflexology in his or her massage or reflexology business is guilty of a misdemeanor for the first viola
Hawaii HB 1390, which proposed a new licensing categorization for massage therapists in the state, has failed in the state legislature. Specifically, the bill failed the “first crossover deadline,” which is the deadline by which a final vote must be taken in a bill's originating house to pass the bill on the third reading, thus enabling it to cross over to the non-originating house for consideration. HB 1390 therefore will not become law, and Hawaii’s existing licensing scheme remains in place.
Nevada AB 126 was signed into law by Governor Sandoval on June 5, 2015, and will go into effect on October 1, 2015. Under the new law:
Oklahoma Senate Bill 687, discussed in our previous legislative update, did not pass in the state legislature prior to the end of the legislative session on May 29, 2015. We will keep our members apprised of future legislative proposals concerning massage therapy licensure in Oklahoma.