State and Local Priorities

May 23, 2024

The passage of Senate Bill 137 ends the Alabama Board of Massage Therapy on June 1, 2024, and reassigns its powers, duties, records, and property to the new Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board. At this time, the membership and organization of the Massage Therapy Licensing Board will be under the temporary oversight of the Board of Nursing. This also means the Board of Nursing will oversee the licensing requirements for massage therapists and establishments, including education and exams.

In addition, the Board of Nursing executive officer will temporarily assume and perform all functions of the executive officer position for the Massage Therapy Licensing Board. All functions performed by the Board of Nursing and the executive officer shall be transferred to the new Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board on or before October 1, 2026.

Alabama massage therapists will be able to maintain their licenses without interruption. As always, AMTA continues to support the state regulation of massage therapy through fair and consistent licensure in Alabama.

March 21, 2024

On January 16th, Governor Dunleavy issued Executive Order 127, which intended to eliminate the independent Board of Massage Therapy and place all regulation of the massage profession under the Department of Commerce in Alaska. We are pleased to report that after the exhaustive grassroots efforts of the AMTA-AK Chapter and volunteers, this measure was overturned during a joint session on March 12th. The Alaska Board of Massage Therapy will now be allowed to continue as the regulating authority in the state!

This is a significant win for massage therapists in Alaska. Maintaining an independent Board of Massage Therapy allows for more focused expertise on the profession’s unique needs and practices, helping facilitate regulations that ensure appropriate standards of education and licensing requirements. This autonomy benefits both massage practitioners and the public.

March 15, 2024

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the massage profession by our AMTA-AZ chapter and lobbyist, we are pleased to share that HB 2169, a bill to merge the Board of Massage Therapy with the Board of Cosmetology, will not move forward this year.

AMTA is committed to collaborating with the Governor's office in the coming months to try and find a better solution prior to the next legislative session, so we can facilitate a smooth transition or a continuation hearing for the Board of Massage Therapy in 2025. As part of these conversations, we will work with the Governor's office to advocate for additional resources to begin combating the licensing delay issues.

March 2023

In 2022, the Arizona legislature passed House Bill 2438 (HB 2438) with an effective date of January 1, 2023, which revised the background check process for massage therapists by requiring a fingerprint clearance card.

As you may be aware, the Arizona Department of Professional Services (DPS) was unable to issue the new fingerprint clearance cards due to pending approval from the FBI, which was creating difficulties for those looking to obtain new licenses. We are pleased to report that as of March 7, 2023, the Arizona DPS has received approval to begin issuing these clearance cards.

June 18, 2024

Governor Polis recently signed Senate Bill 24-201 into law, which increases minimum education hours from 500 to 650 hours in Colorado for entry-level massage therapists.

Without this new law, federal financial aid, specifically the Pell Grant, would have been in jeopardy for Title IV schools with massage therapy programs above 500 education hours. The state licensing requirement of 650 education hours will now allow massage programs with up to this many hours, continued access to the full array of federal financial aid under the new Title IV regulations recently imposed by the U.S. Department of Education. In addition, Non-Title IV schools will have a grace period to bring their program into compliance with the new requirements.

July 3, 2024

We are pleased to report that after the strong advocacy efforts of the AMTA Government Relations Team, the AMTA-DE Chapter and dedicated volunteers, Delaware has passed Senate Bill 277 (SB 277). The bill, which passed on June 20, 2024, is now awaiting Governor Carney's signature. The passage of SB 277 seeks to phase out Certified Massage Technicians (CMTs) to establish a single tier of licensure, aligning with the standards followed by nearly all other states.

The passage of SB 277 will require future massage therapy practitioners to obtain 500 hours of education and pass a board-approved, psychometrically valid entry-level examination. AMTA fully supports the elimination of a multi-tiered regulatory process. Requiring 500 hours of education for all new licensees helps to ensure that massage therapy is practiced safely, ethically, and effectively, benefiting both clients and practitioners alike.

Current CMTs Can Continue to Practice - Current CMTs will be allowed to maintain their certification and right to work under this title, provided they follow all renewal guidelines already in effect. Delaware bill drafters have worked with the massage school that provides the 300 hour CMT program to establish the final date for new CMTs to apply. This final group of CMTs will graduate at the end of August 2024 and will have until December 31, 2024 to obtain a certification from the Board.

May 2, 2024

Delaware is one of the last states to offer two separate tiers of massage regulation: Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT, 500 hours required) and Certified Massage Technician (CMT, 300 hours required). On April 23, 2024, Senate Bill 277 (SB 277) was introduced to amend the current Delaware Massage Therapy Practice and cease issuing new CMT licenses as of December 31, 2024.

SB 277 Will Elevate the Massage Profession in Delaware

The passage of SB 277 will ensure the future massage therapy practitioners obtain 500 hours of education and pass a board-approved, psychometrically valid entry-level examination. AMTA fully supports the elimination of a multi-tiered regulatory process. Requiring 500 hours of education for all licensees helps ensure that massage therapy is practiced safely, ethically, and effectively, benefiting both clients and practitioners alike in a consistent manner. This legislation could help elevate the massage therapy profession and protect the health and safety of massage consumers in Delaware.

Current CMTs Can Continue to Practice

Current CMTs will be allowed to maintain their certification and right to work under this title, provided they follow all renewal guidelines already in effect. Delaware bill drafters have worked with the massage school that provides the 300 hour CMT program to establish the final date for new CMTs to apply. This final group of CMTs will graduate at the end of August 2024 and will have until December 31, 2024 to obtain a certification from the Board.

June 26, 2024

The Florida Legislature has passed HB 197, a comprehensive bill aimed at regulating certain healthcare practitioners and massage therapy establishments. Effective July 1, 2024, this legislation enhances oversight to eliminate illicit activities operating under the guise of massage therapy.

Key Provisions of the Bill Include:

• Immediate License Suspension: The Department of Health is authorized to immediately suspend the license of massage therapists and establishments if they are involved in serious offenses, including human trafficking and sexual misconduct.
• Enahnced Reporting and Recordkeeping: Massage establishments are required to maintain detailed employment records in English or Spanish, and to verify the record customer identities before providing services.
• Prohibited Activities and Devices: The bill prohibits sexual activity and the presence of certain devices within massage establishments, aiming to reduce illicit activities.
• Visibility and Signage: Establishments must ensure at least 35% light penetration through reception area windows and must display required information visibly.
• Employee Dress Code: Employees are mandated to wear fully opaque, non-transparent clothing.
• Human Trafficking Awareness: Specific rules are designed to help identify and prevent human trafficking within massage establishments

Department of Health Reporting - The bill also mandates regular reporting by the Department of Health on the massage therapy industry's financial status, complaints, and disciplinary actions. AMTA supports these measures that provide law enforcement with additional tools to help eradicate illicit behaviors which have no place in the massage therapy profession.

It should be noted that some provisions within the legislation have not yet been fully defined. We expect these outstanding questions to be addressed once the rules have been implemented.

April 17, 2024

AMTA recently made efforts to aid Title IV schools in Georgia through supporting legislation that would have raised educational hours as a solution to new rules imposed by the U.S. Department of Education (DoEd). Despite our opposition to the current structure of the Interstate Massage Therapy Compact (IMpact) – specifically the 625-hour requirement, AMTA supports the Title IV schools' initiative in Georgia to boost educational hours to help address the DoEd's new rules. 

AMTA’s support was demonstrated through our testimony and proposed amendments to the Georgia legislature throughout the month of March. However, we did not endorse attaching the IMpact as an amendment to the “Georgia HB839 Social Work Licensure Compact Act”, due to concerns that it would restrict or exclude many licensed massage therapists. AMTA’s position on the IMpact has been thoroughly documented.

AMTA is disappointed by an attempt to introduce divisive amendments to HB839, especially at a time when Georgia Title IV schools need support from the profession to increase educational hours. Further complicating matters, there was another move to eliminate the “exemptions in the practice act” for certain professions, undermining all of the proposed amendments. As a result, we were not able to achieve the goal of increasing educational hours.

In closing, AMTA fully supports our title IV schools and their efforts to introduce thoughtful legislation to raise educational hours. We also welcome further discussion with our partners in the massage profession to modify the current IMpact.

June 26, 2024

Senate Bill 353 (SB 353), which will increase entry-level education hours from 500 to 625 hours in Louisiana, has been signed by Governor Landry. This bill will also update requirements regarding background checks and will reinstate lapsed licenses. AMTA has been advocating for these important changes in state law on behalf of all Louisiana massage therapists, schools and students!

Without this new law, federal financial aid, specifically the Pell Grant, would have been in jeopardy for Title IV schools with massage therapy programs above 500 education hours. The state licensing requirement of 625 education hours will now allow massage programs with up to this many hours, continued access to the full array of federal financial aid under the new Title IV regulations recently imposed by the U.S. Department of Education. In addition, Non-Title IV schools will have a grace period to bring their program into compliance with the new requirements.

July 11, 2024

On July 1, the Missouri Board of Therapeutic Massage passed an Emergency Amendment 20 C SR 2197-2.010, increasing the entry-level education requirement for massage therapists from 500 hours to 625 hours.

Without this amendement, federal financial aid, specifically the Pell Grant, would have been in jeopardy for Title IV schools with massage therapy programs exceeding 500 education hours, if the Department of Education's new rule ever goes into effect.

With the 625 hours requirement, massage programs with up to this many education hours will continue to have access to the full array of federal financial aid under the DoEd's new Title IV regulations, which have been delayed. Additionally, Non-Title IV schools will have a grace period to bring their programs into compliance with the new requirements.

July 11, 2024

Thanks to the dedicated advocacy efforts of the AMTA Government Relations Team, the AMTA-NC Lobbyist, the AMTA-NC Chapter, and our committed volunteers, Senate Bill 607 (SB 607) became law on July 9.

SB 607 increases the minimum education requirement for entry-level massage therapists in North Carolina from 500 to 650 hours. Without this new law, federal financial aid, specifically the Pell Grant, would have been in jeopardy for Title IV schools with massage therapy programs exceeding 500 education hours if the Department of Education's new rule ever goes into effect.

With the state licensing requirement now set at 650 education hours, massage programs with up to this many hours will continue to have access to the full array of federal financial aid under the DoEd's new Title IV regulations, which have been delayed. Additionally, Non-Title IV schools will have a grace period to bring their programs into compliance with the new requirements.

February 8, 2024

House Bill 1610 (HB 1610) seeks to increase entry-level education requirements for licensed massage therapists from 500 hours to 650 hours, allowing massage schools in Tennessee to maintain Title IV status, and students to continue to receive federal funding.

The recent decisions made by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) could negatively impact the flow of students in massage schools if they do not have access to Title IV funding. This could greatly reduce the supply of massage therapy graduates entering the workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), employment of massage therapists is projected to grow 20% from 2021 to 2031, which is much faster than the average growth for all occupations. That's why it's an important moment in time to raise education hours and allow Title IV funding to continue in your state.

In addition, increasing massage program hours is a positive step towards ensuring the highest standards of education and training for massage therapists in Tennessee. By raising the minimum required hours, this bill would enhance the professionalism and competency of massage practitioners for a rapidly emerging healthcare profession, leading to improved patient/client outcomes and safety.

Support HB 1610

October 12, 2023

We want to say thank you to our amazing members, volunteers and concerned citizens who sent over 1,000 messages to state legislators to advocate for allowing the Utah Board of Massage Therapy to continue! On the morning of October 11, 2023, more than 50 massage therapists showed up in person and virtually to support the massage profession, and we are pleased to report that the Massage Therapy Practice Act Amendments were unanimously passed out of the committee, extending the next sunset date to July 1, 2034.