SB189 - Alabama Massage Therapy Licensure Act Amendments

• Removes the State Department of Education accreditation requirement for Alabama massage therapy schools and replaces it with board approval based on established training standards.

• Increases minimum supervised instruction hours from 500 to 650 hours for licensure and requires applicants to be 18 years old with a high school diploma, removing the U.S. citizenship requirement and adding criminal background checks.

• Changes the penalty for violations from a Class C misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor and expands grounds for license revocation or suspension.

• Provides board members compensation of $100 per day for attendance, changes executive secretary title to executive director, establishes excused absence reasons, and removes requirements for filing oaths with the Governor.

• Increases licensing and renewal fees significantly (e.g., massage therapist license from $100 to $200 initial, biennial renewal from $100 to $300) and authorizes the board to assess and collect additional administrative fees.