Calling all massage therapists and would-be massage therapists in California!  Have you heard of SB-731?  It’s a new law that created the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) and has everything to do with massage licensing and certification matters.  Its principal mission is to issue certification on a state-wide, voluntary basis.

We’ll provide the highlights of SB-731 in this blog and in the next blog (part 2):

1.  It is not mandatory to apply for a certification from the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) if you already hold a license as a massage therapist in California. But if you think you’ll be a long-term California resident, you may want to consider applying for one.  The way it works is that the local license that graduates apply for allows them to work only in the county they live in.  So if they moved to another county in California, they’d have to apply for a new license valid for that county.  The CAMTC wanted to eliminate this cumbersome process and pushed for legislation that would bestow a CAMTC-issued certificate upon graduates of California massage schools to practice anywhere in California.

2.  Application for a CAMTC-issued certificate is voluntary.  Based on the FAQ on their web site, they would start receiving applications in July-August this year, although certificates will not be issued before September 1, 2009.  When applicants will receive certificates is still not certain as CAMTC is holding a series of meetings and finalizing the process.  Remember that SB-731 is a new law.

3.   Certificate and city permit:  if you choose not to apply for a CAMTC certificate, you would be still subject to local ordinances.  Applying for one and getting approved means you need NOT apply for a local permit.  But you need to distinguish between a permit and a business license.  You won’t need a permit to practice if CAMTC-certified, but you would still need to comply with the county’s rules and regulations that apply to local businesses – that is, adhering to zoning, safety and health requirements and holding a valid license to operate your business.  Think of it as two separate entities:  you as a massage therapist and your business as a separate entity.  With a CAMTC-issued certificate, you won’t need to apply for a permit to practice as a massage therapist but your business would still be subject to local laws.  Of course this business license requirement does not apply if you work for an employer.

4.  The law also seeks to change the way titles are given.  Effective September 1, 2009, you won’t be able to call yourself – at least in the legal sense – a “Certified Massage Therapist” or “Certified Massage Practitioner.”  Only those who hold CAMTC certificates can legally hold these titles.  The CAMTC’s position on this matter is quite clear:  “Up to now, the term Certified Massage Therapist/Practitioner has actually had no legal meaning state-wide.  It might have meant that someone was issued a certificate by their school, or it might have meant that they were certified by their city or county.  Now the title will be recognized state-wide as referring to someone who has certified through the CAMTC.”

We’ll discuss more of the highlights of SB-731 and the ongoing efforts of CAMTC in our next blog post.  This development is worth watching as it may start a trend in other states as far as certification and licensing are concerned.  It could potentially lead to state governments transferring this authority to private, non-profit organizations like the CAMTC.