07/01/2022
House Bill No. 240
On May 17, Governor Edwards signed into law House Bill No. 240 (HB 240), which creates a provisional license for any graduate of a state-approved, Louisiana-based massage therapy school. Effective August 1, 2022, the Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy must issue provisional licenses to graduates that can be used at registered massage therapy businesses. Basically, the provisional license temporarily allows a graduate to work while they wait for their licensure application to be approved.
Conditions
- A provisionally licensed massage therapist may only work at a business that employs a fully licensed massage therapist.
- A provisional license is active for a three-month term and cannot be renewed.
- Businesses that employ provisionally licensed massage therapists must notify clients that they will be receiving services from a massage therapist with a provisional license before receiving a service.
Note: HB 240 lists an effective date of August 1, 2022. However, it also states that the provisions of the bill will cease to be effective December 31, 2025. We are seeking clarification on why there is an end date and will update you when we learn more.
Senate Bill No. 286
On June 15, Governor Edwards also signed into law Senate Bill No. 286 (SB 286), which allows educational hours above 500 to be taught either in person or via distance learning. SB 286 added the following definitions to explain what is considered in-person learning and what is considered distance learning:
In-person, in-class, instructor-supervised—occurs when students physically attend class or clinical sessions at the approved school location with their instructor and other classmates.
Real-time synchronous distance learning—occurs when students attend class sessions virtually at the same time as the instructor and other classmates.
Essentially, Louisiana still requires 500 education hours—SB 286 simply states that the required 500 hours must be in-person, in-class, instructor-supervised hours dedicated to the study of massage therapy techniques and clinical practicum-related modalities. Schools that provide more than the required 500 hours of education can now teach massage therapy techniques and clinical practicum in a combination of real-time synchronous distance learning and in-person, in-class, instructor-supervised hours after they’ve taught the 500 required hours.