CA Massage Law Change

[LadyNiko]

Hi All -

This was posted on the massage therapy com on LJ a couple weeks back and I haven't had time to cross post this here to get the word out about the totally backwards route that the state of CA is trying to take with the massage law.

The full article is here: http://tinyurl.com/CAmassagelaw

But, here's the gist of it: An excerpt:

Update: After today's hearing, the bill was moved out of the Business, Professionals and Consumer Protection Committee by an 8 to 3 vote and was sent to the Appropriations Committee.

Hearings are being held today in Sacramento on a proposed anti-prostitution law that would essentially dissolve a state massage therapy certification board and effectively force practitioners to seek local permission to work.

Assembly Bill 1822, authored by Assembly Member Sandre Swanson, will go before the Business, Professionals and Consumer Protection Committee and, if passed, will ultimately dissolve the Massage Certification Act, formerly SB 731, currently California Business and Professions Code Section 4600. This Code established the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) that now certifies massage therapy in California.

If enacted, the legislation would result in a return to the old system used in California that required practitioners to be vetted and certified in each jurisdiction where they have clients. Both costly and complicated, the old system was replaced two years ago in favor of a voluntary statewide certification that supporters say has been far more effective in weeding out disreputable and unprofessional people from obtaining permission to work in local jurisdictions.

CA MTs, get on the horn and get a hold of your senators and reps and tell them this is a horrid idea. Do you really want to have to go back to the process of buying a license for each city you work in? Good grief.... what a horrid nightmare.

[EgoMagickian]

As much as many dislike the old way, the bill this would dissolve deserves to be dissolved.

[LadyNiko]

As much as many dislike the old way, the bill this would dissolve deserves to be dissolved.

Exactly - which is why I figured I would post this over here, even though I am not affected by it (being that I'm based in MO after all.)

As much as I don't like the lady in charge of the MO Massage Board, I would hate to have to deal w/ something like this in MO!

[EgoMagickian]

To be clear, I mean SB 731, in its current incarnation, deserves to be dissolved.

[Pete]

To be clear, I mean SB 731, in its current incarnation, deserves to be dissolved.

Josh, would you care to elaborate on your specific reasons why?

[EgoMagickian]

Yes, the same reason I've mentioned in the past: no grandfathering. The law is touted as "voluntary" but it's hardly voluntary if there are negative consequences for not falling into line with it.

[Pete]

Actually, in a sense it does grandfather. MTs with less than 500 hours who can demonstrate, via local license OR tax returns, that they've worked in the industry for at least two years are able to test in at the CMT level. Granted it's not automatic, but it's an option...

[EgoMagickian]

Not good enough... I want absolutely nothing to do with a statewide agency.

[RelaxandRejuvenate]

I think the major impetus has to do with the $$ involved.

Local gov'ts are seeing yet another revenue source dry up when cities, counties and the state are going broke.

Regulation is rarely about the public good, but more about justification of government bureaucracies. They rarely take in as much $$ as they cost, and when their take is reduced, they lookly wholly unnecessary.

A state-wide regulation is better than a patchwork of local ones, but not as good as no regulation.

CA should embrace its roots, but instead will again embrace the bloated state-employee union bureaucracies that are leading to its ruin.

Greece is bankrupt, has bloated government employee unions dominating politics, unsustainably generous retirement programs for civil servants, idyllic Mediterranean climate, is susceptible to earthquakes and is ruled by someone who speaks English with an accent so thick American's can barely understand him. CA is no different....

[JasonE]

Not good enough... I want absolutely nothing to do with a statewide agency.

Still mad about the domain name and the grandfathering? I am surprised that you are harboring such a grudge over this, Josh. You have gone from providing rational, thought-provoking objections... to just rejecting the whole concept out of hand, with no consideration of any other perspectives. That's not like you... at least, not so far as I've come to know you here on BWOL.

[EgoMagickian]

Still mad about the domain name and the grandfathering? I am surprised that you are harboring such a grudge over this, Josh. You have gone from providing rational, thought-provoking objections... to just rejecting the whole concept out of hand, with no consideration of any other perspectives. That's not like you... at least, not so far as I've come to know you here on BWOL.

Not quite... I said that I want nothing to do with state licensing, which is different than saying that no one should do it. That was my stance before the legislation passed, so it was not a reaction to the title issue.

[JasonE]

Still mad about the domain name and the grandfathering? I am surprised that you are harboring such a grudge over this, Josh. You have gone from providing rational, thought-provoking objections... to just rejecting the whole concept out of hand, with no consideration of any other perspectives. That's not like you... at least, not so far as I've come to know you here on BWOL.

Not quite... I said that I want nothing to do with state licensing, which is different than saying that no one should do it. That was my stance before the legislation passed, so it was not a reaction to the title issue.

Fair enough. I was mistaken. My apologies for the misunderstanding.

[EgoMagickian]

No worries, you're always a pleasure :-)

[JasonE]

No worries, you're always a pleasure :-)

Thanks, but I doubt that very much.

[MassageMaven]

Potentially good news to those who like state certification.... Hot off the presses from my AMTA-CA newsletter yesterday.

The third week of May brought very positive changes
around AB 1822. Assemblymember Sandré Swanson
and his staff have shown a real and responsive interest
in the needs of the massage community, and after
discussions with industry stakeholders, AB 1822 will be
held in committee while Assemblymember Swanson's
office prepares amendments.
The following amendments are expected:
• All investigations for California Massage Therapy
Council (CAMTC) certification would be done by
the CAMTC, as was established by SB 731, rather
than by local law enforcement.
• Two board members would be added to the CAMTC
Board of Directors - one from the California Police
Chiefs Association (CPCA), and one from the
California State Sheriffs' Association (CSSA).
• The language in SB 731 that governs permits for
massage establishments would be cleared up.
In summary, the CAMTC and statewide certification
would remain intact!
The AMTA-CA is very pleased at how massage
therapists across the state have made their voices heard,
and we thank Assemblymember Swanson for being
willing to consider our needs. These amendments can
absolutely be drafted in a way that both protects the
massage therapy profession and strengthens the ability
of local law enforcement to control prostitution and
human trafficking.
So, for the moment, we wait. The AMTA-CA will
update its members and others as soon as further action
is necessary. In the meantime, please know that your
letters, emails, internet postings, and publicity have
both influenced lawmakers and inspired those of us
whose job it is to deal directly with the legislature.

[JasonE]

There have been some interesting developments. Details here: http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/a ... p?id=14245

Looks like the CAMTC is here to stay.

[Nordic1]

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 1822 yesterday.

California Governor Vetoes Massage Bill

In a victory for massage professionals, CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday vetoed AB 1822, a bill that, if passed, would have mandated the presence of law enforcement members on the state's massage regulatory board, the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC).

And here is the link to another article that was posted at the Massage Today site:

Schwarzenegger Vetoes AB 1822

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the highly controversial anti-prostitution California bill on Sept. 30, sending it back to the legislature without his signature. Assembly Bill 1822 has been the object of scorn from the massage community since its inception back in February of this year.