In January 2009, HB 5651 was signed into law by Governor Granholm. The law provided for the state licensing of massage therapists and authorized the creation of a state regulatory board to implement the process. Governor Granholm appointed members to serve on the Board of Massage Therapy in late June 2009 and the board has met regularly since December 2009 to discuss and develop regulations to implement the law.
A draft of the regulations was sent to the State Office on Administrative Rules (SOAR) early this year. SOAR asked for clarification on the section related to record keeping. The board addressed those questions at its March 2011 meeting and minor revisions were made.
There are still several steps in the process, including a public hearing, which will provide an opportunity for anyone who wishes to comment about the specific details of the proposed regulations. ABMP will let members know when the hearing is scheduled.
Assuming that no major changes are required, we are estimating that applications for licensing will be available sometime in the fall. ABMP will alert members when it is time to apply. Please keep your contact information current!