Texas Doubles Educational Hours

A bill awaiting the Texas governor's signature will double the education hours required of massage therapists to become certified in the 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 student registering after Jan. 1, 2008."

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

Matthews outlined additional changes stipulated in the bill, including: Licensing will be required for all client-contact therapies with health benefits; and most of the old exemptions to the massage law are gone, and now only licensed health-care professionals are exempt from the law.