OPR bill would register massage establishments; agency says registration helps fight human trafficking

The Senate Committee on Government Operations examined sections of H.588 that would create a registration program for massage establishments and extend OPR enforcement tools aimed at combating human trafficking.

Jennifer Cohen, director of the Office of Professional Regulation, told the committee the establishment-registration framework is intended to give the agency and law-enforcement partners a way to close locations that facilitate trafficking. "This statutory framework for establishments would enable us to go in and shut down an establishment that is not operating lawfully," she said.

OPR explained the bill simplifies the definition of "massage establishment" so locations where massage is regularly engaged in (typically two or more practitioners) must register; OPR acknowledged shared-space and "swing-space" situations will be resolved through rulemaking and FAQs. The office also described inspection and denial authority in section 54 that would require management and ownership disclosures and permit denial or revocation for unprofessional conduct or unauthorized practice.

The bill would lower some establishment fees in response to testimony: OPR said it reduced a proposed establishment initial fee from $100 to $50. OPR also discussed the general fee structure for professions administered by the office, noting initial application fees are lower than renewal fees and pointing to recent inflation-driven adviser-profession adjustments enacted in 2023 (speakers cited an earlier initial fee of $75 and a renewal fee of $140 for registrants as historical context).

OPR provided enforcement statistics to explain the proposal's rationale. As of early February the office reported roughly 1,261 registrants in massage/bodywork categories and "over a 100 complaints," including subcounts the agency gave for human trafficking and misconduct. The bill also would provide immunity from criminal prosecution for unauthorized practice of massage for people who report being victims of human trafficking so victims can speak with law enforcement without fear of arrest, a provision OPR described as critical to investigations.

Committee members raised operational questions — for example, who is the entity that must register when multiple practitioners share rented space (owner, landlord or individual practitioner). OPR said those scenarios are among the gray areas it will address in rulemaking and that the agency will reach out to practitioners during the rules process.

What happens next: OPR will return to the committee for follow-up rulemaking conversations and to continue review of remaining bill sections; no formal vote on the establishment-registration provisions occurred at the hearing.