HB 386 Summary

• Revises the definition of "massage establishment" to require cosmetology shops offering massage services to obtain a massage establishment license and employ a licensed massage practitioner as professional-in-charge, eliminating the prior exemption that allowed massage services in licensed cosmetology shops without massage establishment oversight.

• Increases minimum education requirements for massage therapists beginning training on or after July 1, 2024, from 500 hours to 625 hours of supervised in-class study, with elective course hours increasing from 75 to 200 hours while maintaining 100 hours anatomy/physiology, 300 hours technique/theory, and 25 hours ethics/law/contraindications.

• Maintains current 500-hour requirement for applicants who began massage programs before July 1, 2024, creating a transitional two-tier system based on program start date.

• Makes technical corrections to licensing qualifications language and clarifies existing criminal history background check requirements, including provisions regarding felony sexual offense convictions.

• Section 1 takes effect upon enactment; Section 2 takes effect by July 1, 2024, to align with federal Department of Education financial aid regulations.