Committee hears detailed testimony on bill to license massage establishments as tool against trafficking

CONCORD, N.H. — Lawmakers on the House Executive Departments and Administration Committee heard hours of testimony Jan. 21 on House Bill 1469, which would require the state to license massage establishments and give regulators inspection and enforcement authority to address illicit massage businesses that investigators say are frequently fronts for sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Representative Charlie Foote (R-Rockingham) opened the hearing by calling the measure "a human trafficking bill," saying New Hampshire currently licenses individual massage therapists but not the businesses where some victims are exploited. "Right now in New Hampshire, we only license individual massage therapists. We do not license the business themselves. This is a major gap in enforcement," Foote said. "This bill will require massage establishments to be licensed by OPLC. It will give the state the authority to inspect these businesses for health, safety, and legal compliance." (Representative Charlie Foote)

The bill proposes establishment licensure and inspection by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, new enforcement tools and penalties for operating without a license, and funding for an investigative position to support enforcement. Foote said the measure would also protect legitimate therapists by creating uniform standards statewide.

Law-enforcement witnesses described how illicit operations evade criminal prosecution…