Federal Way council sends contested massage-business ordinance back to committee after public outcry

The Federal Way City Council voted unanimously May 5 to send the proposed massage-business ordinance (council bill 936) back to the Parks, Recreation and Public Safety Committee for additional study and revision after extended public testimony and council debate.

Supporters of a stronger local code — including the Police Department and council members concerned about human trafficking — told the council the city has long been a destination for illicit operations that present as massage businesses. Deputy Chief (speaker 37) told the council the department has "identified 40 illicit massage businesses" in the city and said officers have shut down "3 or 4" of them in targeted operations. That enforcement history, the deputy chief said, undergirds the need for local tools to address illicit activity.

At the same time, licensed massage therapists and representatives of the Washington State Massage Therapy Association urged caution. Mary Beth Birney (speaker 2) and Robin Blake (speaker 27) said the industry has been "hijacked by bad actors" but warned that several provisions in the draft — notably a proposed ban on cash payments, curfews on business hours, and a prohibition on locking doors during business hours — could unintentionally harm legitimate practitioners, reduce access for elderly or homebound clients, and create safety risks for solo providers.

"These operations have nothing to do with our profession," Robin Blake said, asking the council to "temporarily pull the ordinance and make revisions" with WSMTA’s assistance. Multiple other therapists who spoke described long-standing client relationships, mobile practices and safety protocols that they said would be complicated or undermined by the current draft.

Assistant City Attorney Adam Gadbury (speaker 36) outlined how Federal Way's draft compares with other municipalities' ordinances, citing Renton and Kent as models and noting variations in licensing, inspections and penalties in Olympia’s recently adopted rules. He told the council the city carved out mobile therapists from the ordinance’s definition of a massage business to avoid inadvertent regulation of home-visit practitioners.

Council members stressed two competing priorities: giving police enforcement tools to disrupt illicit operations tied to human trafficking while avoiding collateral damage to lawful practitioners and vulnerable clients. Several council members urged staff to work closely with industry representatives, the mayor’s office and law enforcement before returning any revised ordinance to the full council.

Council president (speaker 8) moved to return the ordinance to committee; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously. Council asked staff to convene WSMTA, local therapists and police prior to the committee’s review.

Next steps: the ordinance will be studied in committee with stakeholder input before the council considers a revised draft.