Senate advances Massage Practice Act with training limits and grandfathering

Senate substitute Bill 28, the Massage Practice Act, received extensive floor discussion Feb. 5 before being placed on the third-reading calendar. Sponsor Senator Evans said the bill would better define the scope of practice for massage therapists, set an upper limit on training established by division rule in consultation with the board ("may not exceed 1,000 hours") and include a grandfather clause for existing practitioners.

Senator Butler offered a friendly, technical amendment to the statutory language that the floor accepted. Senators asked several policy and practical questions: whether training schools are state institutions, how many graduates are trained annually, whether the change effectively doubles required training hours, and what exemptions would exist for a parent or coach providing routine first-aid or pain relief. The sponsor acknowledged the need for an explicit exemption and said staff and research analysts would prepare that amendment for third reading.

Supporters said licensure would bring consistent standards, protect consumers and sanitize a profession that in the past sometimes blurred into illicit activity. "We have a group of professionals that are trying to get together to improve the profession, to give some security to the public that they will be getting good service," Senator Montgomery said. Opponents raised concerns about tuition and access for students if education requirements increase.

What happens next: SB28 was amended on the floor and sent to the third-reading calendar with adopted technical corrections; sponsors committed to file an exemption amendment to avoid unintentionally criminalizing informal first-aid-type massage by parents, coaches or caregivers.