H-1553              _______________________________________________

                                          SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 1233

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representative Braddock)

Read first time 2/8/89.

AN ACT Relating to licenses for massage practitioners; amending RCW 18.108.095; repealing RCW 18.108.100 and 18.108.130; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section 12, chapter 443, Laws of 1987 and RCW 18.108.095 are each amended to read as follows:

          An applicant holding a license or equivalent in another state or territory of the United States, local jurisdiction of any state or territory, or foreign jurisdiction may be granted a Washington license without examination, if, in the opinion of the board, the other state's, territory's, local jurisdiction's, or foreign jurisdiction's examination and educational requirements are substantially equivalent to Washington's:  PROVIDED, That the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the board a working knowledge of Washington law pertaining to the practice of massage.  The applicant shall provide proof in a manner approved by the ((department)) director that the examination and requirements are equivalent to Washington's.  An applicant with at least five years of licensed experience or equivalent in another jurisdiction as a massage practitioner shall be deemed to have satisfied the educational requirements for licensure under this chapter.

An applicant holding a license or equivalent in good standing in another jurisdiction and who makes application for licensure in this state, and who is required to take an examination, shall be given a temporary permit to practice massage to be valid only until the results of the next examination for licensure are available.  Applicants holding temporary permits shall be subject to the grounds for denial of licensure under chapter 18.130 RCW.  No more than one temporary permit may be issued to any applicant.  The director may impose such conditions upon practice as is deemed to be in the interest of the public health and safety.  The provisions of this section shall be liberally construed.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

                   (1) Section 11, chapter 280, Laws of 1975 1st ex. sess. and RCW 18.108.100; and

          (2) Section 14, chapter 280, Laws of 1975 1st ex. sess. and RCW 18.108.130.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.