The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and the AMTA Kansas chapter submitted a sunrise document (essentially an application to license massage therapists in Kansas) to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The KDHE Occupational Credentialing Technical Review Committee was appointed to review the document in a series of four meetings, two of which have already occurred; it will make a recommendation to the legislature whether massage therapy should be regulated in the state of Kansas based on this document.
During the meetings, the committee asked questions about the profession and had an open dialog with representatives from ABMP, AMTA, and the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). In order to secure a favorable recommendation from the committee, the document asks the applicant to meet ten criteria, the most important being that the unregulated practice of massage therapy can potentially harm the public. The committee will accept public comment on November 13; on December 11 the committee will deliver its final recommendation for the legislature.
Even if the committee recommends licensing, the Kansas state legislature will have to draft and pass a bill to license massage therapists. The submission of the sunrise document is merely the first step in the process and the committee does not have the authority to actually license massage therapists. The committee has been open-minded and very thoughtful throughout the process.
Meetings begin at 10 a.m. and are held at the Curtis State Office Building, Flint Hills Room, 1000 SW Jackson Street, Topeka, KS 66612.
ABMP will support a bill to license massage therapists as long as it contains a provision for existing practitioners to become licensed without meeting additional education or exam requirements (grandfathering); sets a minimum education requirement consistent with the rest of the country (500 hours); and pre-empts local regulations. Forty-three states and District of Columbia regulate massage therapy.