Bill proposes massage therapist registry, credentialing

Those seeking a reputable massage therapist would be able to access a state registry of therapists who have been vetted by a peer advisory council, but not everyone thinks that’s a good idea, as expressed in a House committee on Tuesday.

HF644, would create a voluntary registry of massage therapists, granting them the title Registered Massage and Bodywork Therapist, and use of the RMBT credential.

The House Health and Human Services Reform Committee approved the bill on a 13-8 vote after a robust discussion about public safety versus the creation of two classes of providers. Sponsored by Rep. Nick Zerwas (R-Elk River), the bill was referred to the House Government Operations and Elections Policy Committee. There is no Senate companion.

The bill would establish a five-member advisory council appointed by the Board of Nursing. Appointees would need to be state residents for at least three years prior to their appointment. Members would be tasked with creating standards of practice, a code of ethics, grounds for disciplinary action and creation of a competency exam, among other duties.

Therapists seeking RMBT credentials would need to pass a competency exam, have current malpractice insurance, and have a criminal history background check, with some exceptions. Existing practitioners would be “grandfathered in” and those who have not taken one of the national exams or did not complete the standard 500 hours of curriculum would be put on an alternative path toward registration. They could waive the education or exam requirements by showing one or the other, or showing membership in a professional association, or showing documentation that they have been in practice for two of the last five years.

Therapists who join the registry would be exempt from massage therapist licensing in the city where they practice. Large massage therapy centers could shift employees to other franchise locations without having to comply with “dozens of incongruent, non-transferable” municipal regulations, Zerwas said. “It’s helping to get providers to where there’s a need.”

Bill opponents said it would drive therapists out of business or increase cost to consumers. Barbara York, president of the Minnesota Therapeutic Massage Network, said cities won’t stop charging for business licensing because it helps law enforcement gain entry to massage centers without a warrant.

The Alliance for Licensing Massage Therapists, a grassroots organization, estimated that during the first five years about 1,500 of 5,100 practitioners would register as an RMBT, paying the proposed annual $185 fee, plus a one-time $100 application fee.

Practitioners who choose not to register could still advertise and refer to themselves as massage therapists, but could not refer to themselves as an RMBT.