It’s signed, sealed, and enacted—let’s celebrate this massive win! Wednesday, May 15, Governor Kay Ivey signed into law Senate Bill 137 (SB 137), terminating the Alabama Board of Massage Therapy and its functions to create the new Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board. Thank you to all of you on the ground who advocated tirelessly for this bill’s passage.
Starting June 1, 2024, the membership and organization of the new board will be under the oversight of the Board of Nursing. SB 137 transfers all powers, duties, rights, records, and property from the former board to the new board, without any action needed on your part.
Licensing
Existing licensing will transition seamlessly. The status of any individual, school, or business currently licensed, accredited, or registered by the former Alabama Board of Massage Therapy will continue under the authority of the Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board. Any license, accreditation, or registration up for renewal on or before October 1, 2024, may be extended temporarily for six months.
You do not need to renew early or request a new license under the new board; licenses will continue until their existing expiration dates, and expiration dates will remain the same.
Board Membership
The new board will consist of nine members:
- Three active licensees appointed by the Governor
- Two active licensees appointed by the Lieutenant Governor
- Two active licensees appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives
- One public member appointed by the Lieutenant Governor
- One public member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives
Members initially appointed to the board will be appointed no later than July 1, 2024.
Key Takeaways
New: A 2” x 2” photo showing the head and shoulders of an applicant must be included in every initial and renewal application submitted after the effective date of June 1, 2024.
New: Schools must include Alabama massage law in their curriculum and new graduates must provide documentation showing completion of studying the law on their license application.
Education Requirements
Massage therapists currently properly licensed need only to renew their license on time and meet their continuing education requirements.
The curriculum below breaks down the hour requirements for each subject area for massage therapy instruction.
Minimum of 650 hours of instruction in:
- Anatomy and physiology (100 hours total), including:
- 35 hours of myology
- 15 hours of osteology
- 10 hours of circulatory system
- 10 hours of nervous system
- 30 hours addressing other body systems at the discretion of the school
- Basic massage therapy, the contradistinctions of massage therapy, and related touch therapy modalities, including a minimum of 50 hours of supervised massage (250 hours)
- Business, hydrotherapy, first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, professional ethics, and state massage therapy laws (50 hours)
- Electives as determined by the school (250 hours)
Effective Date: June 1, 2024