2020 -- H 7120 | |
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LC003494 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- LICENSING OF MASSAGE THERAPISTS | |
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Introduced By: Representatives Bennett, McNamara, Edwards, Cassar, and Corvese | |
Date Introduced: January 16, 2020 | |
Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Section 23-20.8-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-20.8 entitled |
2 | "Licensing of Massage Therapists" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
3 | 23-20.8-3. Practice of massage therapy -- License required -- Use of title limited -- |
4 | Qualifications for licenses continuing education -- Fees. |
5 | (a) A person shall not practice, or hold himself or herself out to others as practicing |
6 | massage therapy, or as a massage therapist, without first receiving from the board a license to |
7 | engage in that practice. |
8 | (b) A person shall hold himself or herself out to others as a massage therapist when the |
9 | person adopts or uses any title or description, including: "massage therapist," "masseur," |
10 | "masseuse," "massagist," "massotherapist," "myotherapist," "body therapist," "massage |
11 | technician," "massage practitioner," or any derivation of those terms that implies this practice. |
12 | (c) It shall be unlawful to advertise the practice of massage therapy using the term |
13 | massage therapy, or any other term that implies a massage technique or method, in any public or |
14 | private publication or communication by a person not licensed by the state of Rhode Island |
15 | department of health as a massage therapist. Any person who holds a license to practice as a |
16 | massage therapist in this state may use the title "licensed massage therapist" and the abbreviation |
17 | "LMT." No other persons may assume this title or use such abbreviation or any other word, |
18 | letters, signs, or figures to indicate that the person using the title is a licensed massage therapist. |
19 | A massage therapist's name and license number must conspicuously appear on all of the massage |
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1 | therapist's print and electronic material. A massage therapist licensed under this chapter must |
2 | have available his or her license in all places of business practice. |
3 | (d)(1) The board shall, by rule, establish requirements for continuing education. The |
4 | board may establish such requirements to be completed and verified annually. The board shall |
5 | require no more than six (6) continuing education units annually. |
6 | (2) Applicants for annual licensure renewal shall meet continuing education requirements |
7 | as prescribed by the board. On application for renewal of license, massage therapists shall attest |
8 | to completion of six (6) continuing education units annually that may include, but not be limited |
9 | to: |
10 | (i) Formal presentations; |
11 | (ii) Conferences; |
12 | (iii) Coursework from a massage school or program, accredited college/university; and/or |
13 | (iv) Self-study or online coursework. |
14 | The programs or offerings shall be approved or sponsored by a board-approved |
15 | organization. |
16 | (3) A licensee who fails to complete the continuing education requirements described |
17 | herein may be subject to disciplinary action pursuant to § 5-40-13 this chapter. |
18 | (4) A license may be denied to any applicant who fails to provide satisfactory evidence of |
19 | completion of continuing education relevant to massage therapy as required herein. |
20 | (5) The board may waive the requirement for continuing education if the board is |
21 | satisfied that the applicant has suffered hardship that may have prevented meeting the educational |
22 | requirements. |
23 | (e) The fee for original application for licensure as a massage therapist and for annual |
24 | license renewal shall be as set forth in § 23-1-54. Fees for all other licenses under this chapter |
25 | shall be fixed in an amount necessary to cover the cost of administering this chapter. |
26 | (f) Any person applying for a license under this chapter shall undergo a national criminal |
27 | background check. Such persons shall apply to the bureau of criminal identification of the state |
28 | police or local police department for a national criminal background check. Fingerprinting shall |
29 | be required. Upon the discovery of any disqualifying information as defined in subsection (g), the |
30 | bureau of criminal identification of the state police or the local police department shall inform the |
31 | applicant, in writing, of the nature of the disqualifying information and, without disclosing the |
32 | nature of the disqualifying information, shall notify the board, in writing, that disqualifying |
33 | information has been found. In those situations in which no disqualifying information has been |
34 | found, the bureau of criminal identification shall inform the applicant and the board in writing of |
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1 | this fact. An applicant against whom disqualifying information has been found may request that a |
2 | copy of the national criminal background report be sent to the board, which shall make a |
3 | judgment regarding the licensure of the applicant. The applicant shall be responsible for payment |
4 | of the costs of the national criminal background check. |
5 | (g) "Disqualifying information" means those offenses, including, but not limited to, those |
6 | defined in chapters 34, 34.1, and 37 of title 11, and § 23-17-37. |
7 | (h) Notwithstanding the above, any city or town may, by ordinance, regulate the opening, |
8 | the presence, the location, and the operation of any body-works business or any business |
9 | providing body-works services. Provided, however, no ordinance may impose additional |
10 | qualifications beyond those adopted by the department of health pursuant to this chapter |
11 | respecting national criminal background checks for persons applying for a license. |
12 | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- LICENSING OF MASSAGE THERAPISTS | |
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1 | This act would move the disciplinary process for massage therapists from the board of |
2 | physical therapy to the board of massage therapists. |
3 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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