Information regarding your state's back-to-practice permission date and safety guidelines to minimize risk of exposure to and spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.
Texas
Massage Therapy Advisory Board
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
PO Box 12157
Austin, Texas 78711
Phone: 512-463-6599
Fax: 512-463-9468
Email: advisory.boards@tdlr.texas.gov
Title: Licensed Massage Therapist
Requirement: 500 hours and passing the MBLEx
Renewal: 12 hours/2 years
Massage therapy establishments and schools in Texas are required to post a sign concerning services and assistance available to victims of human trafficking...
There have been many changes in the massage therapy and cosmetology industries and communities in response to COVID-19 (coronavirus), including executive orders affecting businesses, emergency rulemaking changing renewal timelines, and distance learning modifying the student experience. ABMP, ASCP, and AHP have summarized below how COVID-19 has impacted the licensing regulations and laws in the state of Texas and encourage you to pay special attention to the CARES Act outlined at the bottom of this email, which addresses financial aid and unemployment benefits.
The Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation amended several massage therapy rules to the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) effective February 1, 2020.
The rule amendments implement House Bill 1865 (2019), and the updated rules have been published on the TDLR website. The new rules affect massage therapy schools, and ABMP has summarized the changes for you below.
Legislators in Texas are considering several bills that impact the massage profession. Here you can find an in-depth summary of the details impacting licensed massage therapists (MTs), massage establishments, and massage students, as well as our position on the bills.
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The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) has announced nine vacancies on the Massage Therapy Advisory Board (Board). The purpose of the Board is to provide advice and recommendations to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation (Commission) and TDLR on technical matters relevant to the administration of the Texas massage therapy licensing law. We encourage you to contribute to the massage therapy profession by applying for a seat on the Board. Under Texas SB 202, which became law in 2015, regulatory oversight of the Texas massage therapy program will be transferred from the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to the Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) in late 2017. Several other professional regulation programs are making the transition as well and we anticipate that TDLR will have the required systems in place prior to the transfer of the massage program. 2009 Texas SB 854, discussed in our 2009 Legislative Update, failed in the state legislature and has not been reintroduced. The current law governing massage establishments in Texas can be found in the Texas Massage Therapy Act, which is available here. Senate Bill 854, sponsored by Senator Dan Patrick, was introduced to the Texas State Legislature on February 12, 2009. It has not been assigned to an initial committee hearing yet. The bill adds restrictions and requirements for massage establishments and increases penalties for noncompliance. The Texas Department of State Health Services is now accepting the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) offered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB: www.fsmtb.org) as a qualification for licensure. |