ABMP notified you of proposed massage therapy rules back in February 2022. The rules were approved May 13, 2022, and will become effective July 1, 2022. The final rules affect the following areas: board member stipends and duties, definitions, continuing education requirements, and communicable disease control measures. ABMP has summarized the rule changes for you below.
Board member stipends (334-001-0055)
The new rules increase the maximum stipend amount for members of the Oregon State Board of Massage Therapists (Board) from $100 to $155 each day, so that they are the same as the current Oregon legislative per diem. This compensation will not be paid if a Board member does not attend a meeting. The rules also outline official board member duties:
- Scheduled Board and committee meetings, including conference calls
- Appointments with Board staff for Board-related business
- Legislative testimony
- Conferences and activities that the Board has requested members attend as its representative
Definitions (334-001-0060)
The new rules replace “contact hour” and “non-contact hour” with the following definitions:
Supervised hours—in-class hours under the instruction and in the physical presence of an instructor, or hours in an interactive distance learning course.
Unsupervised hours—education hours earned independently outside the presence of an instructor.
Continuing Education (334-010-0050)
The new rules decrease the number of contact hours (i.e., instructor-supervised, formal learning courses, seminars, workshops) necessary to meet continuing education requirements. Previously, a licensee had to complete a minimum of 15 supervised hours. Now, they must only complete eight supervised hours. As such, this increases the number of unsupervised hours (i.e., informal learning presentations, webinars, seminars, meetings) to 17 hours to fulfill continuing education requirements. Note: Four hours of Professional Ethics, Boundaries, and Communication requirements must still be supervised hours.
Communicable Disease Control (334-020-0055)
As massage therapists practice under the umbrella of the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Board sought to incorporate OHA rules in the massage therapy rules.
The new rules amend this section to incorporate OHA rules on masking and vaccination to control communicable diseases.
Therefore, to mitigate the spread of the communicable disease COVID-19, the rules now consider failing to comply with any applicable OHA COVID-19–related rule as unprofessional conduct. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Failing to comply with OHA’s masks, face coverings, or face shields requirements
- Failing to comply with OHA’s vaccination requirements
New rules are effective July 1, 2022.