The Mississippi legislature passed Senate Bill 2751 this session, requiring the Mississippi State Board of Massage Therapy to develop guidelines for massage establishment registration. The initial registration fee is $50 and it must be paid to the Board no later than January 1, 2022.
Legislative Updates
To address the ongoing difficulty in obtaining hands-on continuing education during COVID-19, the Washington Board of Massage issued Policy Number BOM 20-01.2 that pushes the date back for massage therapists to meet CE requirements through December 31, 2021. The Board also adopted new massage therapy rules effective September 1, 2021.
The Washington Board of Massage revised the Washington Administrative Code in August 2020. The rules are now final and are effective September 1, 2021. The rules amend definitions, the out-of-state application process, transfer programs, school approval, training hours, faculty, continuing education, standards of practice, and recordkeeping. They also create a new section on gluteal cleft and perineum massage.
Senate Bill 5229 requires licensees to complete health equity continuing education training at least once every four years to address how bias, racism, and poverty are health inequities and how to develop skills to care effectively for patients.
House Bill 1440 would allow online education for an entire massage therapy training program and in-person education at a spa or massage clinic. The Arkansas legislative session adjourned April 30, 2021, and HB 1440 died in committee.
Senate Bill 227 (SB 227) is essentially a cleanup bill, but also seeks to update licensing requirements, create establishment licensure, increase training hours, and modify fees. SB 227 is out of the Senate, but the South Carolina legislative session adjourned on May 13, 2021. SB 227 will not pass through the legislature this session, but will go through the House in 2022.
The Alaska Board of Massage Therapists adopted regulation changes effective June 6, 2021. The changes impact massage therapy establishments, massage therapy licensure, and continuing education requirements.
Massage therapists in Indiana need to renew their certification by May 15, 2021. The renewal fee is $150 and proof of professional liability insurance must be submitted upon renewal. Massage therapists can renew online or by paper copy.
The Washington State Board of Massage's Multicultural Health and Equity Committee is having their first meeting April 27, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. PST in a virtual format open to the public to join.
In June 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy prohibited mobile massage therapy services due to COVID-19. While massage services have since been allowed to resume in business locations, mobile services remain prohibited. Join LMT peers via Zoom to brainstorm local industry ideas and solutions to reverse the ban on mobile massage therapy services.