06/24/2008
BILL TO LICENSE MASSAGE THERAPY PASSES PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Susan K. "Sky" Yoder, BS, NCTMB
Massage Therapy Instructor/Department Head
For the past sixteen years, there
has been an ongoing effort
to pass legislation in
Pennsylvania that would
license massage therapists.
On June 24, 2008,
HB 2499 (for the licensure
of massage therapists)
passed in the
House of Representatives
by a vote of 193 to 5! This is the
first in the long effort toward licensure
that a bill has made it to a vote!
The bill has now been sent to the
Consumer Protection and Professional
Licensure Committee and it
will soon go to the state senate,
where it reportedly has good support
as well. Following Senate approval,
it will go to Governor Rendell
for his consideration. At long last
Pennsylvania is on the road to recognize
massage as a viable and
legitimate profession!
It’s about time! Thirty-eight states,
the District of Columbia and four
Canadian provinces require some
type of credential in order to practice
massage therapy. The bill was
sponsored by Representative Keith
McCall (Democrat, Carbon County).
The bill provides for standards of
practice, educational requirements,
ethical standards and the exclusive
use of the term massage therapy.
The bill provides for the establishment
of an independent massage credentialing process. This is a
big step
for massage therapy
in Pennsylvania
and will
help to
increase
the acceptance of massage in a
state where many people still associate
it with massage parlors. Bob
Caton, spokesman for Representative
McCall said: “After so many
years of almost getting it done, it’s
nice to see the bill to treat massage
therapists as the health-care professionals
they are, finally moving into
position to become law.”
A copy of the bill can be found at
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/. When
you are on that page, locate on the
upper right “Find Legislation By” and
click on “Bill Number” and enter HB
2499. You can express your support
for the bill by contacting your state
senator and telling him or her (by
phone or letter) that you are in favor
of licensure for Massage Therapists
and asking to vote for HB 2499
when it reaches the state senate.
You can find you state senator on
the same website by using the “Find
Member By” box in the top right corner.
Be informed by checking out the
bill and be involved by urging your
state senator to support HB 2499!
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