Congress Preserves Federal Funding for Massage Therapy Research

On September 2, the President signed a bipartisan short-term funding bill, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), that extends federal funding from October 1 through December 11. The measure allows the government to continue operating while Congress postpones final budget decisions, including funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), until after the November midterm elections.

Many AMTA members will remember the uncertainty surrounding past government shutdowns and the disruptions they caused to federal programs and services. When Congress returns later this fall, lawmakers will negotiate a final funding package. Those decisions may be influenced by the outcomes of the November elections.

A significant positive development for the massage therapy profession is Congress’s continued support for NCCIH and complementary and integrative health research. Both the House and Senate declined to support the President’s FY27 budget proposal, which would have eliminated NCCIH entirely. Had that proposal been approved, federal funding for massage therapy and other nonpharmacological pain management research would have been eliminated.

Because NCCIH provides the majority of federal funding for massage therapy research, its elimination would have had a major impact on the profession and the evidence base supporting massage therapy. AMTA and its partner organizations strongly opposed the proposal and advocated for continued investment in NCCIH.

While AMTA would have welcomed increased funding, Congress has so far chosen to maintain NCCIH funding at current levels. Given the threat of elimination, preserving the agency and its ongoing research funding is an important victory.

AMTA will continue to monitor congressional action as lawmakers work toward a final funding agreement later this fall.