SB137 Enrolled is a bill that proposes significant changes to the regulation of massage therapy in Alabama. It seeks to dissolve the Alabama Board of Massage Therapy and create the Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board, which will initially operate under the temporary oversight of the Board of Nursing until October 1, 2026. The new board will assume all the powers, duties, rights, records, and property of the former board, and it will extend the renewal date of licenses and registrations issued by the former board. The bill also introduces a new Chapter 43A to Title 34 of the Code of Alabama 1975, which includes definitions, board structure and functions, scope of practice, and exemptions. It specifies that no one may practice or advertise as a massage therapist without a license, except for students and certain professionals. The bill also exempts immediate family members, visiting instructors, MERT members during emergencies, Native American healers, and those supervised by certain health professionals from the licensing requirement.

The bill outlines the composition and appointment process of the new Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board, which will consist of nine members with specific criteria to ensure diversity. The board's duties include qualifying applicants, establishing educational standards, and adopting rules for professional conduct. It also details the requirements for licensure as a massage therapist, including education, examination, background checks, and fees. The bill prohibits massage therapists from working in sexually-oriented businesses and advertising services outside their expertise. It also regulates massage therapy establishments, requiring licenses, initial inspections, and prohibiting operation as sexually-oriented businesses. Furthermore, the bill addresses the issuance, display, and property status of licenses, the establishment of the Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board Fund, and the grounds for disciplinary actions against licensees. It includes insertions and deletions to current law, but the specific legal language changes are not detailed in the provided text.