HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 6138

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      Commerce & Labor

Title:  An act relating to license revocation of massage practitioners.

Brief Description:  Deleting mandatory permissive language for reinstatement of revoked massage practitioner licenses.

Sponsors:  Senator Kohl.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Commerce & Labor:  2/22/96 [DPA].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 12 members:  Representatives McMorris, Chairman; Hargrove, Vice Chairman; Thompson, Vice Chairman; Romero, Ranking Minority Member; Conway, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Cairnes; Cody; Cole; Fuhrman; Goldsmith; Horn and Lisk.

Staff:  Karen Tyler (786-5793).

Background:  Grants are available through the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) to fund prostitution prevention and intervention programs that provide services such as counseling, parenting, housing relief, education, and vocational training designed to assist persons in leaving or avoiding prostitution.

Under current law, if a massage practitioner is convicted of prostitution, the Department of Health must revoke his or her license to practice massage.  A convicted prostitute is ineligible for a massage license for a period of eight years following his or her conviction.  However, completion of a prostitution prevention program funded through the CTED grant program ( 1) qualifies a convicted prostitute for license reinstatement; and (2) makes a convicted prostitute who did not hold a massage license at the time of his or her conviction eligible for a license prior to the expiration of the eight-year period.

Summary of Amended Bill:  Massage practitioners who have lost their licenses because of prostitution convictions may no longer qualify for license reinstatement by participating in a prostitution prevention and intervention program.  A convicted prostitute may not apply for a license to be a massage practitioner for eight years after his or her conviction.  The applicant may no longer shorten the waiting period by participating in a prostitution prevention and intervention program.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The amendment clarifies that participation in a prostitution prevention and intervention program does not make a convicted prostitute eligible for a license to practice massage prior to the expiration of eight years from the date of his or her conviction.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Amended Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:   Prostitutes mar the image of the massage profession.  The Legislature should not make it easy for persons who lose their licenses to practice massage because of a prostitution conviction to qualify for license reinstatement.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  (In favor) Melanie Stewart, American Massage Therapy Association.