Existing law, the Massage Therapy Act, provides for the certification and regulation of massage professionals by the California Massage Therapy Council, which is a private nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors composed of 13 members. Existing law requires one member to be appointed by the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, and authorizes the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools to appoint one member. Existing law requires one member to be a certified massage therapist or a certified massage practitioner who is a California resident who has practiced massage for at least 3 years before appointment and is selected by a specified professional society, association, or other entity the membership of which is composed of massage therapist professionals, and that chooses to participate in the council.
This bill would remove the above-described appointment of one member by the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, and would limit the appointment authority of the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools by requiring that their appointed member represent an approved massage school. The bill would add an additional member who is a certified massage therapist or a certified massage practitioner who is selected by a specified professional society, association, or other entity, as described above, and would make conforming changes related to that provision.
Existing law authorizes the council to take any reasonable actions necessary to carry out the responsibilities and duties set forth in the Massage Therapy Act, including hiring staff.
This bill would prohibit the total annual compensation for any individual employed or contracted by the council from exceeding the annual salary provided to certain state officers during that fiscal year.
Existing law requires the council to issue a certificate to practice massage therapy to an applicant who meets specified qualifications, including that the applicant has successfully completed the curricula in massage and related subjects, as specified. Existing law requires the council to determine whether the school from which an applicant has obtained their education meets the requirement of the Massage Therapy Act. If the council has any reason to question whether or not the applicant received that education from the school or schools that the applicant is claiming, existing law requires the council to investigate the facts to determine that the applicant received the education before issuing the certificate.
This bill would authorize, instead of require, the council to conduct that investigation, as described above.
Existing law requires a certificate holder to notify the council within 30 days of any changes in the certificate holder's home address or the address of any massage establishment or other location where the certificate holder provides massage for compensation, except as specified.
This bill would also require a certificate holder to notify the council within 30 days of any changes in the certificate holder's legal name.
Existing law makes it a violation of the Massage Therapy Act for an applicant or certificate holder to commit certain acts, and makes the commission of those acts grounds for the council to deny an application for a certificate or to impose discipline on a certificate holder. Those acts include being convicted of any felony, misdemeanor, infraction, or municipal code violation, or being held liable in an administrative or civil action for an act, that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a certificate holder.
This bill would specify that a plea or verdict of guilty, or a conviction after a plea of nolo contendere, is a conviction for purposes of the above-described provision. The bill would also include among those specified acts that are considered a violation the determination of being a threat to public safety based on mental health reasons by a medical or mental health professional, or the rendering of a finding of not guilty in a criminal proceeding by reason of insanity.
Existing law authorizes a board to deny a license on the grounds that the applicant has been convicted of a crime or was subject to formal discipline within the preceding 7 years from the date of application based on professional misconduct that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the business or profession for which the present application is made, as specified and subject to certain exceptions. Existing law requires a board to follow specified procedures in requesting or acting on an applicant's criminal history information, including notifying the applicant in writing, as specified, if a board decides to deny an application for licensure based solely or in part on the applicant's conviction history.
This bill would require the denial of an initial certificate to practice massage therapy on the grounds that the applicant has been convicted of a crime or has been subject to formal discipline as provided under the act to be consistent with the above-described provisions authorizing a board to deny a license.
Existing law requires the council to follow specified procedures for deciding upon and imposing the denial of a certificate or the discipline of a certificate holder under the Massage Therapy Act. Existing law requires, with certain exceptions, the council to provide an opportunity for the applicant or certificate holder, to be heard, orally or in writing, not less than 5 days before the effective date of the denial or discipline, by a person or body authorized to decide whether the proposed denial or discipline should go into effect.
This bill would specify that the person or body authorized to make that decision is a person or body authorized by the board of directors.
Existing law authorizes the council to immediately suspend the certificate if the council determines that a certificate holder has committed an act punishable as a sexually related crime or a felony that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a certificate holder. Existing law provides the certificate holder the right to request, in writing, an oral hearing or consideration of a written statement to challenge the factual basis for the suspension, and a requested oral hearing or consideration to be held within 30 calendar days after the receipt of the request.
This bill would specify that the oral hearing or consideration is to be held by a person or body authorized by the board of directors.
The bill would authorize an applicant or certificate holder to appeal a final decision of the council to deny or revoke a certificate. In this regard, the bill would require an appeal of the final decision to be heard at the next board of directors meeting, as specified, that is at least 120 days from the last date for the applicant or certificate holder to timely request an appeal, except as specified. The bill would require the council to notify the applicant or certificate holder of its right to appeal pursuant to these provisions at the time of the final decision.
Existing law requires the council, upon request of any law enforcement agency or any other representative of a local government agency with responsibility for regulating or administering a local ordinance relating to massage or massage establishments, to provide information concerning an applicant or certificate holder, including the name and home and work addresses of any person whose certificate has been suspended and the length of the suspension if the work address is located within the jurisdiction of the agency making the request, and any other information in the council's possession that is necessary to verify facts relevant to administering the local ordinance.
The bill would revise the entities to which the council is required to provide that information to include any law enforcement agency, state agency, or representative of a local government agency with responsibility for regulating or administering a local ordinance relating to massage or massage establishments. The bill would remove the requirement that the work address be located within the jurisdiction of the agency making the request. The bill would expand the information the council is required to provide the requesting agency to instead include any information in the council's possession that is necessary to verify facts relevant to administering a local massage or massage establishment ordinance, or any other federal, state, or local enforcement laws related to massage or massage establishments, human trafficking, organized crime, acts punishable as a sexually related crime, or regulating a California-licensed profession.
Existing law requires the council to develop policies, procedures, rules, or bylaws governing the requirements and processes for approving, denying approval of, imposing corrective action on, or unapproving schools from which applicants obtain their education, as specified. Existing law requires the council, on or before one year from the date the council receives an initial application for approval as a school, to approve the school, propose to deny approval of the school, or notify the school that corrective action is required, and authorizes the council to deny the application of a school that fails to adequately rectify the deficiencies. Existing law authorizes a school to appeal the council's final decision to deny approval of the school, and requires the appeal to be heard at the next board of directors meeting, as specified.
This bill would require the council to notify the school of its right to appeal pursuant to these provisions at the time of the final decision.
Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that, among other things, the Massage Therapy Act enables consumers and local government to more easily identify certified massage professionals and provide for consistent statewide certification and oversight of massage professionals. Existing law repeals the Massage Therapy Act on January 1, 2026.
This bill would also state the intent of the Legislature that, among other things, both state and local regulation of massage therapy reflect the recognized status of certified massage professionals as health care providers. The bill would instead repeal the act on January 1, 2030.
Existing law, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a state body be open and public and all persons be permitted to attend any meeting of a state body. The act imposes various requirements on a state body holding a meeting subject to the act, including, among other things, requiring the state body to provide notice of its meeting to any person who requests that notice in writing.
The Massage Therapy Act requires meetings of the council to be subject to the rules of the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, and authorizes the board to adopt additional policies and procedures that provide greater transparency to certificate holders and the public than required by the act.
This bill would, except as otherwise provided in the Massage Therapy Act, require meetings of the council to be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
The bill would require the council to provide a meaningful opportunity for public participation in the adoption, amendment, or repeal of any policies, procedures, rules, or bylaws that substantially impact the rights, benefits, privileges, duties, obligations, or responsibilities of individuals or entities subject to certification or approval by the council, including, among other things, actions by the council to increase fees. In this regard, the bill would require the council, at a minimum, to publish the complete text of any policies, procedures, rules, or bylaws proposed for adoption, amendment, or repeal along with a summary of the changes being considered for a period of at least 45 calendar days before the adoption, amendment, or repeal, and to accept written public comments during the 45-day period and allow further public comment during a meeting held for these purposes that is noticed and conducted in compliance with the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act.
Existing law, the California Public Records Act, requires state and local agencies to make their records available for public inspection, unless an exemption from disclosure applies.
This bill would require the records of the council to be subject to the California Public Records Act, as specified.

Statutes affected:
AB 1504: 4602 BPC
02/24/25 - Introduced: 4602 BPC
04/21/25 - Amended Assembly: 4600.5 BPC, 4600.5 BPC, 4602 BPC, 4608 BPC, 4608 BPC, 4609 BPC, 4609 BPC, 4610 BPC, 4610 BPC, 4614 BPC, 4614 BPC, 4615 BPC, 4615 BPC, 4621 BPC, 4621 BPC
04/30/25 - Amended Assembly: 4600.5 BPC, 4602 BPC, 4608 BPC, 4609 BPC, 4610 BPC, 4614 BPC, 4615 BPC, 4621 BPC