SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6138

              As Passed Senate, February 7, 1996

 

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

 

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

 

Sponsors:  Senator Kohl.

 

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Health & Long-Term Care:  1/26/96, 1/31/96 [DP].

Passed Senate, 2/7/96, 48-0.

 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE

 

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Quigley, Chair; Wojahn, Vice Chair; Deccio, Fairley, Franklin, Moyer, Thibaudeau, Winsley and Wood.

 

Staff:  Rhoda Jones (786-7198)

 

Background:  Last year legislation passed authorizing the Department of Health to auto­matically revoke the license of a massage practitioner who had been convicted of prostitution.  Revocation under these circumstances could last eight years, unless the conviction was overturned or the licensee completed a prostitution prevention and intervention program.

 

Summary of Bill:  Massage practitioners who lose their licenses because of a prostitution conviction are not given the option of participating in a prostitution prevention program as a means of getting their license reinstated.

 

The prostitution prevention program already in statute is maintained as a mechanism for changing behavior without enabling offenders who have lost their massage therapy licenses to opt for the program as a short cut to regaining their licenses.

 

Appropriation:  None.

 

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

 

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

 

Testimony For:  The massage therapy profession is not interested in having anyone convicted of prostitution able to do massage.  Do not permit easy license reinstatement.

 

Testimony Against:  None.

 

Testified:  PRO:  Ron Weaver, DOH; Melanie Stewart, AMTA; Lori Belinski, AMTA; Lenny VanPelt, International Patient Advocacy.

 

House Amendment(s):  Language in the existing statute was deleted, further clarifying that a convicted prostitute is ineligible for a license to practice massage for a period of eight years following the conviction.