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Senate committee hears bill to join massage therapy interstate compact
Summary
Senate Bill 233 would make Montana a member of the Massage Therapy Interstate Compact, letting qualified massage therapists practice in member states via a multistate license; supporters said the compact includes fingerprint checks and safeguards while the Department of Labor and Industry urged the bill be enacted alongside required federal‑approval steps.
Senator Willis Curdy (Vice Chair) introduced Senate Bill 233 on behalf of the sponsor, saying the bill adopts model compact language to allow licensed massage therapists in Montana to obtain a multistate license and practice in other compact states while Montana retains authority to enforce its own laws.
The compact is patterned on other occupational compacts and would create a Compact Commission made up of member‑state delegates to develop rules and determine substantial equivalency for education and examinations. "Montana still maintains its sovereignty over its licensing of prospective Montana massage therapist[s]," Curdy told the committee.
Deborah Kimmet, who represents the Business League for Massage Therapy and Bodywork, testified that the compact mirrors existing models, includes a fingerprint background check and a licensing database, and would ease workforce shortages in tourist and resort areas by enabling faster temporary hiring of out‑of‑state therapists. She noted an education‑hours gap between Montana’s 500‑hour standard and the 625‑hour national standard and said the Compact Commission would address equivalency for affected practitioners.
Sarah Swanson, commissioner of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, urged a "do pass," telling the committee that section language in SB233 includes the compact's criminal background check and that Montana's participation would be contingent on at least seven states enacting the compact. "Passing this today puts us in line to be a compact state when the compact is enacted in at least 7 states," Swanson said.
Grant Minnick, a policy analyst with the Council of State Governments, said the compact grants two‑way portability similar to the nurse licensure compact and listed states that have introduced or enacted companion legislation; Minnick said Nevada and Ohio have enacted the law and several other states have bills pending.
Committee members asked how the compact differs from existing reciprocity and endorsement pathways; Kevin Bragg, bureau chief for Professional Licensing at DLI, said compacts provide an additional pathway to licensure that can streamline cross‑state practice when members agree substantial equivalency standards.
With proponents emphasizing public safety and portability, and the department supporting the bill with federal‑approval caveats, Curdy closed by asking the committee for a do‑pass recommendation. The hearing concluded with the bill’s sponsor and supporters available for questions.
