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Bill would remove national‑association requirement for massage-board appointments amid board makeup debate
Summary
House Bill 7-20 would eliminate an existing provision that ties professional board seats on the Board of Massage Therapy to membership in national associations; the Department of Labor and Industry backed the change as a recruitment fix, while multiple massage therapists and associations opposed it as disrupting a consensus‑based board balance.
Representative Nellie Nicholl introduced House Bill 7-20, saying the measure would open eligibility so more qualified massage therapists can compete for board seats by removing a requirement tying board membership to national association membership.
Sarah Swanson, commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry, testified the existing statutory restriction is unique among Montana's 29 occupational boards and has made appointing and filling seats difficult for governors’ offices. "The massage therapy board is the only board across 29 in Montana that has a unique limitation... Why does…
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