The proposed bill amends the Massage Therapy Practice Act in New Mexico to establish new licensure requirements for massage therapy establishments, effective January 1, 2026. It mandates that all such establishments must be licensed by the board, which will set health and safety standards. The bill introduces a biennial renewal process for licenses, including a sixty-day grace period for renewal after expiration, and outlines procedures for the suspension or revocation of licenses based on complaints or violations. Additionally, it adds definitions for terms like "home-based establishment" and "massage therapy establishment," and grants the board authority to conduct inspections and establish minimum standards for licensure.

Moreover, the bill introduces criminal penalties for individuals operating unlicensed massage therapy establishments and for those providing services or advertising as licensed therapists without valid credentials. It updates the language regarding penalties, removing previous provisions that only addressed violations of the act and expanding it to include the operation of unlicensed establishments and misleading credentials. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 61-12C-3, 61-12C-8, 61-12C-11, 61-12C-17, 61-12C-18, 61-12C-24, 61-12C-24.1, 61-12C-27