H.B. 717 Summary

• Allows township boards to optionally regulate massage establishments by resolution without requiring preliminary registration, and enables adoption of regulations for massage business permits and massager licenses.

• Permits townships to require massagers to hold state licenses from cosmetology and barber boards, nursing boards, medical boards, chiropractic boards, or be licensed massage therapists; also allows students and recent graduates within 18 months of program completion.

• Establishes criminal penalties: first-degree misdemeanor for operating unlicensed massage establishments, third-degree misdemeanor for unlicensed massagers and violations of sexual conduct prohibitions during massage services.

• Changes terminology from "masseur" and "masseuse" to "massager" throughout the code.

• Requires township boards to deposit permit and license fees into the general fund and use revenues to administer and enforce adopted massage regulations and registration requirements.