A bill that would create more restrictive massage therapy establishment regulation, such as operating hours and massage establishment regulation by city or county policy, is currently moving through the Texas Legislature. ABMP needs your help advocating against it. You can elevate your voice today by contacting your local representatives. Find your representative here.
House Bill 2134 (HB 2134) wants licensed massaged therapists (LMTs) to be licensed in every city in which they practice in addition to obtaining their state license issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
ABMP believes this legislation is unnecessary and overly burdensome. Many Texas LMTs work in multiple cities, and this bill would require them to receive multiple city licenses. Cities already have the authority to send in law enforcement to inspect businesses at any time to review suspected violations. ABMP also recognizes that a massage establishment owner who has businesses in multiple cities will have to navigate extra paperwork and could have different closing times in different cities.
Contact your representative now. You can use the arguments above and remind the legislature that Texas requires a minimum of 500 massage therapy training hours, a background check, fingerprinting, and passing a jurisprudence and nationally recognized psychometric examination. Licensed massage therapists are vetted, law-abiding practitioners, and HB 2134 dismisses your education and devalues your profession.
There is still time in the legislative process to make sure HB 2134 does not become law, and ABMP will be actively opposing the bill. ABMP will keep you informed as it learns more. Please feel free to reach out to ABMP’s GR team with questions at gr@abmp.com.