Legislative Changes in CT, SD and TX

Changes have been made to massage-therapy regulations in Connecticut, South Dakota and Texas.

In Connecticut, a bill signed into law in late May changes the title “Connecticut licensed massage therapist” to “massage therapist” and requires businesses that advertise massage services to post their license number in all advertisements, according to a report in The Hartford Courant newspaper.

South Dakota will relax its statewide rules governing massage therapists beginning July 1, according to news reports.

Currently, massage therapists must pay a $200 fee every two years to maintain their license. That will drop to $65. The number of continuing education units (hours) therapists must complete every two years will also drop from 16 to 8, according to a report in The Capital Journal newspaper.

A bill awaiting the Texas governor’s signature will double the education hours required of massage therapists to become certified in that state.

“New massage therapists in Texas will have to complete at least 500 hours of education,” said the Texas Association for Massage Therapists’ Second Vice President Vicki Matthews. “The law changes on Sept. 1, 2007, and the education changes start for students registering after Jan. 1, 2008.”

Until now, registrants in Texas were required to complete 250 hours of in-school education and 50 hours of hands-on practice. The 50-hour requirement still stands.

Matthews outlined additional changes stipulated in the bill, including a licensing requirement for all client-contact therapies with health benefits and the elimination of old exemptions to the massage law, with only licensed health-care professionals remaining exempt from the law.