SB 301 — AN ACT CONCERNING MASSAGE THERAPISTS.

General Assembly   RaisedSubstitute Bill No.

301 February Session, 2018   LCO*_____SB00301PH____032218____* No.AN ACT CONCERNING MASSAGE THERAPISTS.

1400   *01400_______PH_* Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH   Introduced by:

  (PH)   AN ACT CONCERNING MASSAGE THERAPISTS.

(a) (1) No person shall engage in the practice of massage therapy unless the person has obtained a license from the department pursuant to this section.

(1)[(1)] (A) Has graduated from a school of massage therapy offering a course of study of not less than [five]five seven hundred fifty classroom hours, with the instructor present, that, at the time of the applicant's graduation, had a current school code assigned by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and was either (A)[(A)] (i) accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or by a state board of postsecondary technical trade and business schools, or (B)[(B)] (ii) accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, (2) has completed not less than sixty hours of unpaid and supervised clinical or internship experience, and [(2)] (3)(B) has passed an examination prescribed by the department.

(2) Each person seeking licensure as a massage therapist on and after October 1, 2019, shall (A) notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (A) of subdivision (1) of this section, have graduated from a school of massage therapy offering a course of study of not less than seven hundred fifty classroom hours, with the instructor present, that, at the time of the applicant's graduation, has a current school code assigned by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and was either (i) accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or by a state board of postsecondary technical trade and business schools, or (ii) accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, and (B) in addition to the requirement set forth in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, have completed not less than sixty hours of unpaid and supervised clinical or internship experience.

(c) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the department may issue a license to an applicant whose school of massage therapy does not satisfy the requirement of subparagraph (A) or (B) of subdivision (1) or (2) of said subsection (a), provided the school held, at the time of the applicant's graduation, a certificate issued by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to section 10-7b and provided the applicant graduated within thirty-three months of the date such school first offered the curriculum completed by the applicant.

or (2) (A) (i) on or before October 1, 2019, graduation from a school of massage therapy offering a course of study of not less than [five]five hundred classroom hours, with the instructor present, and, at the time of the applicant's graduation, was either [(i)] (I) accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or by a state board of postsecondary technical trade and business schools, or [(ii)] (II) accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, or (ii) on and after October 1, 2019, graduation from a school of massage therapy offering a course of study of not less than seven hundred fifty classroom hours, with the instructor present, and, at the time of the applicant's graduation, was either (i)(I) accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or by a state board of postsecondary technical trade and business schools, or (ii)(II) accredited by the Commission on Massage TherapyTherapy, Accreditation, and (B) successful completion of the examination prescribed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

(c) No provision of this chapter shall be construed to prohibit an out-of-state massage therapist who (1) is licensed or certified in another state whose standards for licensure or certification are equivalent to or greater than those required in this state, or (2) if licensure or certification is not required in such other state, is a member in good standing of the American Massage Therapy Association, from providing uncompensated massage therapy services (A) to persons with disabilities during the Special Olympics or similar athletic competitions for persons with disabilities, or,or (B) at the invitation of the Connecticut chapter of said association, with the emergency division of said chapter's Community Service Massage Team, provided such out-of-state massage therapist (A)[(A)] (i) does not represent himself or herself to be a massage therapist;therapist [;

(B)(B)] provideslicensed massagein therapythis understate; the supervision of a massage therapist;

and (C)(ii) only provides massage therapy tounder persons participating in the Specialsupervision Olympicsof or similar athletic competitions for persons with disabilities or to persons who are emergency medical services personnel, as defined in section 19a-180b, a firstmassage responder,therapist. as defined in section 53a-180 or a supplemental first responder, as defined in section 19a-180b.

Sec.[;

and (C) only provides massage therapy to persons participating in the Special Olympics or similar athletic competitions for persons with disabilities.] Sec.

The amount of insurance that each such person shall carry as insurance or indemnity against claims for injury or death for professional malpractice shall not be less than twofive millionhundred thousand dollars for one person, oneper occurrence, with an aggregate of not less than sixone million dollars.

4 October 1, 2019 38a-393(b) Statement of Purpose:Legislative Commissioners:

ToIn increaseSection the1(a), requiredsubdivision hours(2) ofwas trainingadded for massage therapists, allow massage therapists from other states to provide massage therapy to emergency medical services personnel, first responders and supplementalthe firstchanges responders, and require massage therapists to obtainSubdiv. liability insurance.

[Proposed(1) deletionswere aredeleted enclosedfor clarity, and in brackets.Section 1(f) Subdiv.

Proposed(2)(A)(ii) additionswas areadded indicatedand by underline, except that when the entirechanges textto ofSubdiv. a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]

(2)(A)(i) were deleted for clarity.

PH Joint Favorable Subst.