Senate committee advances bill to let Health Department track massage-parlor workers

House Bill 1440 would let the Arkansas Department of Health compile a registry identifying who works in massage therapy establishments, whether they hold licenses and who owns or operates the businesses, sponsors told the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee.

Supporters said the change is aimed at improving the department’s ability to follow “bad actors” who move between locations and at reducing human trafficking within the industry. Representative Mary Bentley, sponsor of related bills in the committee, said the Department of Health brought the request to the legislature.

"It just simply allows the Department of Health to get the names of the people that they are, who's licensed, who's not licensed, who the owners are," Representative Bentley said. "So when a bad actor moves from one place to the next, they can keep up with them."

Laura Shew, general counsel for the Department of Health, described HB 1440 as an agency bill and said stakeholders had been consulted. "This is merely providing for a registry. It just helps us keep track of massage therapy establishments because currently, we don't have a list," Shew told the committee.

Committee members asked whether the bill conflicted with other licensure bills considered earlier in the session. Shew said it did not and that stakeholders had been shared the language. No testimony in opposition was recorded in committee.

The committee adopted a motion to pass the bill by voice vote. The chair announced, "House Bill 1440 passes."

The bill as presented creates an administrative registry for establishments and persons associated with massage therapy; it does not, in committee discussion, change licensing standards or penalties. It was presented to the committee as an agency-requested tool to enhance oversight.

Votes at the hearing were taken by voice; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.