House panel moves massage therapy oversight from Cosmetology to Medical Board

Representative Munson told the committee that House Bill 2233 would move the Massage Therapy Act from the State Board of Cosmetology to the Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision and asked members to pass the bill.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Munson, said survivors had reported inconsistent complaint processes under the cosmetology board and that the medical board has stronger enforcement resources. "The process with the board of cosmetology is not consistent," Munson said, and the medical board "has more enforcement mechanisms, specifically investigators who are CLEAT certified," which he said would better protect the public.

Committee members asked whether licensed massage therapists supported the change and whether the medical board would need to change educational or disciplinary procedures. Munson said licensed therapists he had spoken with supported the move and that the medical board would apply its existing licensure and enforcement processes to massage therapy, including fee structures that could provide additional resources for oversight.

A member asked whether complaints typically involved licensed therapists or illicit operations. Munson said the incidents included both boutique spas and larger companies as well as less obvious storefronts, and stressed that lack of oversight allowed abuse to continue in places that might otherwise appear trustworthy.

The committee opened a formal vote after a motion and second. Staff reported the tally: 6 ayes, 0 nays. The chair declared the bill passed. After the vote Munson said he would "get more details on the enforcement piece."