Minnesota Considers Adopting Voluntary Registration for Massage Therapists

If passed, House File 1503, would create a voluntary registration credential for massage therapists and create the Registered Massage Therapist Advisory Council to advise and assist the Board of Nursing in implementing the law. ABMP cannot support the bill in its current form; however, we are working with the AMTA chapter and legislative sponsor with the hope of amending the bill to address our concerns. The following are areas that currently are cause for ABMP’s concern: School Approval ABMP opposes Section 10 (148.988) of the bill related to school approval. In order for a massage therapy program to be approved by the board, the school would have to meet all of the following:

1. Teach a program of at least 500 contact hours of combined massage therapy theory and practice training;
2. Be licensed by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education or equivalent agency in another state;
3. Be accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Secretary of Education for accrediting such program or institutions (of which there are currently seven):
   • Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).
   • Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT).
   • Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET).
   • Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS).
   • Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA).
   • Council on Occupational Education (COE).
   • National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (NACCAS).

Schools would also be obligated to pay an initial school approval fee of $300 to the board if already accredited by one of the seven accreditation agencies, or $450 if the school is not currently accredited. The yearly school renewal fee to the board would be set at $175. These requirements would be in addition to accrediting costs and licensing costs required by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. ABMP is specifically opposed to mandatory accreditation and the additional school approval process and fees that would be required by the board if HF 1503 were to pass. In some professions, school accreditation is the norm. Nearly 100 percent of four-year colleges, for example, are accredited. That is not the norm among massage schools today. Only 676 of the 1575 (43%) state-approved massage schools are accredited by one or more of the seven bodies approved by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit massage programs. Chances are a massage therapist moving to Minnesota has not graduated from an accredited program and will have difficultly becoming registered. There are only three states nationwide that only license graduates of accredited massage schools, all three have clearly documented problems because of this policy. We believe that the state agency assigned to approve schools should do its oversight job. When it does, that provides sufficient regulation of schools. Voluntary accreditation of massage schools has value for the individual school, but requiring such status should not be established as a barrier to entry. Qualifications for Existing Practitioners For a period of one year after applications become available, existing practitioners would be able to qualify for registration by paying a fee, submitting to a background check, demonstrating current CPR certification, proof of professional liability insurance and meeting one of the following requirements:

1. Completion of a minimum 500-hour massage therapy program (as approved by the board).
2. Passing an entry-level competency exam to be approved by the board
3. Demonstrating employment as a massage therapist for at least the previous 2 years prior to the effective date (August 1, 2010) of the bill.
4. Demonstrating active membership in a professional membership organization for at least 2 years prior to the effective date (August 1, 2010) of the bill.

ABMP is concerned about language that would require only applicants who have not graduated from an accredited school to pass an entry-level competency exam prior to registration. It is not clear whether this language would affect existing practitioners applying for registration in the first year. Qualifications for Registration To qualify for registration, a massage therapist would be required to:

• Pay a fee ($272 for initial registration)
• Submit to a background check.
• Demonstrate current CPR certification and proof of professional liability insurance.
• Demonstrate completion of an education program approved by the board.
• Demonstrate passage of an entry-level competency exam to be approved by the board.

In Minnesota, registration is considered voluntary, and is more a matter of title protection. Only massage therapists registering with the state would be able to use the title Registered Massage Therapist (RMT). Twelve hours of continuing education would be required every 2 years and the annual registration renewal fee would be set at $172. The benefit to becoming state registered would be that the state credential would pre-empt local licensing requirements; however, local municipalities could still require business licenses with requirements consistent with other health professionals. To read the entire bill, go to http://wdoc.house.leg.state.mn.us/leg/LS86/HF1503.1.pdf