Oregon Exempts Certain Practitioners from Massage Licensing

SB 454 was signed by Governor Kitzhaber on 5/16/2011. The law exempts individuals who are practicing energy work or movement education from massage therapy licensing provided that the individual's services are not designated or implied to be massage or massage therapy and he or she is “certified by a professional organization or credentialing agency.” The State Board of Massage Therapists has the authority to verify that a practitioner claiming to be exempt is “certified” as required. While ABMP is supportive of exempting certain practitioners from massage licensing, we are opposed to the concept of mandating private certifications as a condition of that exemption. ABMP is opposed to the notion of the massage board spending resources to verify that individuals, who are not even regulated by the law, are “certified” by private organizations that have no legal standing in the state. ABMP will monitor how this law is implemented.