New state law brings legitimate massage therapy into the mainstream

Great way to waste tax payer money. STOP ALL THE CONSENTING ADULTS FROM BENEFITTING FROM A SERVICE THAT INVOLVES NO ONE BUT THE TWO PEOPLE INVOLVED. Once again people that have no sex life want to ruin everyone else. Damn this Senator is Ugly.

so, you mean to tell me after completing the 720 hour program at national holistic institute & jumping through the hoops to get my permit for the city of oakland, now you want me to get certified at a state level which has much less stringent requirements but will limit my ability to provide services in my or my clients' homes as a bulk of self-employed massage therapists do? (which, by the way, is why this disabled single mama became a massage therapist in the first place ~ so i could fit my employment into the realities of my abilities & stay off of welfare)

My husband & I have been licensed in the state of Florida since 1986 & 1987 and moved to California last year to run a spa in Palm Springs, so got all the paperwork together, refereneces, background checks, proof of AMTA approved schooling.

Will having a valid Palm Springs permit matter after this year?

How will we be informed of the new requirements?

When do they go into effect?

As the Spa Director, I need to know how to handle this change ASAP.

Waste of taxpayer money. Nice job. Try going after some violent offenders.

Quite honestly, I wish people would read rather than scan before commenting.

As for my views on this issue; I'm quite happy with the change, provided this bill really does all that it states.

She claims, "The new rules formulated by the MTO would be standard across the state and will supersede local laws." - This would actually be a MASSIVE breath of relief for the professional, especially those just starting out.

Having to get licensed by each town separately is outrageously costly. It tends to be strenuous to the practitioners or therapists who have legitimate, ethical "in home visits" with (handicapped, challenged or "special needs") clients just on or over borders!

I'd rather pay these fees & let the fingerprinting begin!

I'm grateful that this will NOT have ANY baring on the tax payers and even more grateful for the opportunity to continue to do what I do best without all the excessive hassle!!!

In Gratitude & Appreciation,

Deven Fearn
CNI COLLEGE
Santa Ana

This says it was posted on Dec 27 2008, and says the law goes in effect January 1.

I understand that it may have gone into effect, and thus the non-profit should have been setup, the regulatory rules should be in the process of being made, and the web page should be going up so start informing people of the new licensure.

However, I can not find any information on the non-profit. Also the group won't be issuing the licenses until September 1, 2009. I will be getting out there in September and would like to start the process. I don't want to have to get local licenses only to have to get a state one too.

Speaking of local: One section says they can only regulate by zoning, and business license and approperate fees for that, but section d:1 says this law does not prohibit local ordaninces applying to massage? Now I need a state and local licenses?

(d# Nothing in this section shall preclude a city, county, or city and county from adopting a local ordinance that is applicable to massage businesses or establishments described in paragraph #1# of subdivision #b# and that does either of the following:

#1) Provides that duly authorized officials of the city, county, or city and county have the right to conduct reasonable inspections, during regular business hours, to ensure compliance with this chapter, the local ordinance,

After 700 hours of massage and anatomy training in Arkansas - yes, we have the "must have a license" law, I worked at known spa in hot springs. Along with the original license we now have to attend 12 not the original 6 hours of CEU's to maintain the license or not practice, and if caught practicing without a license comes a hefty charge. The legitiamte "therapists" are somewhat punished for those that are "happy ending" therapists. So, though I love massage, and have truly helped people - including using reflexology which is another wonderful modality, I have stopped practicing. One, I don't have the time for the hours of continuing eduation courses, and one has to travel a distance unless you in the mid of a spa town, with prices of 200.00 on the low side, plus renewal every year. And just how are they using the tax money? Hmmmm
It's almost like guns ... now don't go off on this analogy.....the honest folks are going to register their guns ... yadda yadda....but the bad guys .... are going to get the guns no matter what.....therefore, a happy ending massage therapist will find a happy ending way to do business, whereas those who are in it for the healing or helping to heal get slammed. It should be up to the customer to research the validity of the place they choose.

After 700 hours of massage and anatomy training in Arkansas - yes, we have the "must have a license" law, I worked at known spa in hot springs. Along with the original license we now have to attend 12 not the original 6 hours of CEU's to maintain the license or not practice, and if caught practicing without a license comes a hefty charge. The legitiamte "therapists" are somewhat punished for those that are "happy ending" therapists. So, though I love massage, and have truly helped people - including using reflexology which is another wonderful modality, I have stopped practicing. One, I don't have the time for the hours of continuing eduation courses, and one has to travel a distance unless you in the mid of a spa town, with prices of 200.00 on the low side, plus renewal every year. And just how are they using the tax money? Hmmmm
It's almost like guns ... now don't go off on this analogy.....the honest folks are going to register their guns ... yadda yadda....but the bad guys .... are going to get the guns no matter what.....therefore, a happy ending massage therapist will find a happy ending way to do business, whereas those who are in it for the healing or helping to heal get slammed. It should be up to the customer to research the validity of the place they choose.

I don't see much info on grandfathering in people. I have been a certified, legitimate massage therapist for 30 years, and while I have learned a great deal along the way on my own and from other practitioners, I only have about 300 certifiable hours of training from massage schools. So does this mean I now have to spend a lot of time and money, enriching some massage school, taking courses I don't want or need in order to continue doing what I do best?
I suspect that the schools are behind this bill and as usual, it is the practitioners who get stuck paying for it.
I was licensed in NC when that state began regulating massage, grandfathered in, and given credit for all my years of experience. I don't see anything like that in this bill.

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