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Council directs staff to draft local massage-therapy licensing ordinance
Summary
Following staff research and council discussion about monitoring and past incidents, New Prague councilors asked staff to prepare a local massage-therapy licensing ordinance and to hold a public hearing before first reading.
The New Prague City Council directed staff to draft a local ordinance to require massage-therapy licensing after staff summarized research showing differing local approaches and a pending state bill for statewide licensing.
Josh (city staff) reported that New Prague and a few nearby cities currently do not require local licensing, while many municipalities do; he noted a state bill had been introduced proposing statewide licensing effective July 1, 2028 but that it had not advanced. He said local licenses typically require proof of education, liability insurance and sometimes background checks.
Councilors expressed broad support for drafting an ordinance. One councilor, who said they are a massage therapist, noted local licensing in other cities required proof of education, insurance and checks. Another councilor suggested holding a public hearing on the ordinance before its first reading to solicit feedback; others said they were comfortable directing staff to prepare an ordinance and return with a draft.
Councilors debated whether every applicant should appear before the council on initial licensing; most agreed a single public hearing about the ordinance would be sufficient and that requiring council approval of every new applicant could be burdensome and unnecessary.
Next steps: Staff will draft an ordinance for council consideration and bring it back with an option for a public hearing before the first reading.
