There will be one seat open to a licensed massage therapist on the Hawaii Board of Massage Therapy next year, and Governor Ige’s office is looking for qualified applicants now. Find out how to apply and help shape the future of Hawaii massage therapy!
Hawaii
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: Professional & Vocational Licensing Division
State Board of Massage
335 Merchant St.
Room 301
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: 808-586-3000
Email: massage@dcca.hawaii.gov
Title: Licensed Massage Therapist
Requirement: 570 hours and a written exam administered by the state. Apprenticeship permits available.
Renewal: 12 CEU hours/2 years
Senate Bill 599 passed this legislative session and requires massage therapy licensees to complete 12 hours of continuing education every biennial renewal, beginning July 1, 2024.
Hawaii HB 223 and SB 599 would require 12 hours of continuing education credits for each biennial renewal period beginning July 1, 2022. Two of the 12 hours would need to be “first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or emergency related courses.”
Hawaii SB 2863, discussed in our most recent legislative update, has been signed into law. Under the new law, the state can issue a citation and impose a $250 fine per violation to any licensee for:
(1) Operation of a massage therapy establishment without a licensed principal massage therapist or licensed designee in attendance on the premises during business hours;
Two bills introduced in the Hawaii legislature this session, Hawaii HB 2334 and SB 2863, would allow the state to issue a citation and impose a $250 fine per violation to any licensee for:
(1) Operation of a massage therapy establishment without a licensed principal massage therapist or licensed designee in attendance on the premises during business hours;
Hawaii law requires that private trade, vocational, and technical schools, including massage therapy schools, must be licensed by the state the department of education.
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.
A new bill, HI HB 1390, has been introduced in the Hawaii House of Representatives which, if passed, would add two new categories for massage therapists in Hawaii: “certified massage therapist” and “massage therapy assistant.” The current licensed massage therapist (LMT) category would remain in place as well. The bill is currently in the initial stages of the state legislative process and may or may not become law in Hawaii.
House Bill No. 1068 was signed Governor Abercrombie on July 3, 2013, and is now Hawaii state law. The law requires that, starting on January 1, 2014, massage therapy establishments that employ five or more people must post a notice, at least 8 ½ by 11 inches in size, containing contact information for the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline. The notice must be posted in a place where employees can easily see it.
Hawaii Senate Bill 193 was recently introduced in the state legislature.