American Massage Therapy Association^®

Massachusetts Passes Massage Therapy Licensing Legislation

Evanston, IL – The Senate and House of the Massachusetts legislature recently overrode Governor Romney’s veto of Senate Bill 2258, the massage therapy licensing legislation.  The legislation was added to the Acts of 2006 on June 29 and will take effect in ninety (90) days. This makes Massachusetts the 37^th state (plus Washington, D.C.) to regulate the massage therapy profession.

The new law includes provisions the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) believes are necessary for fair and effective regulation of massage therapy.   “AMTA believes state licensing laws need several key elements to be fair and effective,” said Mary Beth Braun, AMTA President.  Those include:

• At least the minimum scope of practice for massage based on a definition of those massage procedures which are observable by the common person (i.e. the physical action of the therapist touching the client is observable.)
• A licensure qualification requiring successful completion of a professional course of study consisting of at least five hundred hours of in-class, supervised education authenticated by a single education provider, with content well distributed in the subjects of anatomy, physiology, hygiene, ethics, massage theory and research, and massage practice.

• A licensure qualification that requires passing an examination that has met national accreditation standards and which is administered by a recognized body independent of the education provider, with content that covers the subjects in a professional course of study, as described above.

• Authority, which may be tacit, of licensees to practice within the scope of massage therapy practice, free from any requirement to obtain any other occupational license.

• Powers and duties of the massage therapy regulatory agency which are customary for the regulation of other healthcare professions in the state.

• Disciplinary and penalty provisions which are customary for the regulation of other healthcare professions in the state.

An authoritative or advisory board of massage therapy, with a majority comprised of massage therapists, and special provisions for the initial appointment of qualified massage therapists as board members whose terms will begin before any licenses have been issued.

The new Massachusetts massage therapy licensure law requires the state board of registration of massage therapy to receive applications for licenses on or before May 1, 2008.

The American Massage Therapy Association is a non-profit, professional association with more than 55,000 members throughout the U.S.  The association is directed by volunteer leadership chosen through its national election and fosters ongoing, direct member-involvement through its 52 chapters.  AMTA Professional members must graduate from a minimum 500 hour, in-class massage training program and to meet continuing education requirements.

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