SENATE BILL REPORT

ESSB 5299

BYSenate Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Senators Warnke, Lee, Vognild, Smitherman, Anderson and Kiskaddon)

Revising laws relating to massage therapy.

Senate Committee on Commerce & Labor

Senate Hearing Date(s):January 27, 1987; February 10, 1987

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5299 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Warnke, Chairman; Smitherman, Vice Chairman; Anderson, Lee, Tanner, West.

Senate Staff:Jean Meyn (786-7472)

                  April 9, 1987

House Committe on Health Care

AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 6, 1987

BACKGROUND:

In 1975, the Massage Act was enacted and created the licensing of massage therapists by the Department of Licensing and established the state massage examining board.  The current law requires that applicants for massage operator licenses pass a written examination and/or a practical demonstration.  The only prerequisites to take the examination are that applicants are over eighteen years old and show that they are of good moral character and in good health.

Most health care practitioners are required to graduate from an accredited school or program as a qualification before taking their licensing examination. 

SUMMARY:

The licensing requirement of graduation from an accredited school for massage therapists or apprenticeship program is added as a prerequisite to take the massage practitioner examination.  The scope of practice of massage therapists is updated and clarified.  The requirement for a state business license is removed.

A fourth massage practitioner is added to the State Massage Examining Board, which is renamed the Washington State Board of Massage.  Qualifications for the consumer member are added that disallow state employees and present or former members of any licensing board.

The effective date for meeting eligibility requirements is June 1, 1988.

Fiscal Note:      available

Senate Committee - Testified: Taya Countryman, NW Massage Practitioners Association; Delores Spice, Department of Licensing; Lois Hayasaka, Commission on Asian American Affairs; Paul Rerucha, Seattle Massage School

HOUSE AMENDMENTS:

This law has no effect on requiring or prohibiting insurance coverage for licensed massage practitioners.