| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to massage therapy; amending s. 480.041, |
| 3 | F.S.; authorizing the Board of Massage Therapy to issue |
| 4 | temporary permits to applicants who meet certain |
| 5 | qualifications to practice massage therapy; providing for |
| 6 | the expiration of temporary permits; providing |
| 7 | limitations; amending s. 480.044, F.S.; providing for a |
| 8 | temporary permit fee; providing an effective date. |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Section 1. Subsection (5) is added to section 480.041, |
| 13 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 14 | 480.041 Massage therapists; qualifications; temporary |
| 15 | permits; licensure; endorsement.- |
| 16 | (5)(a) The board may issue a temporary permit to practice |
| 17 | massage therapy to an applicant who: |
| 18 | 1. Graduates from a school that is accredited by an |
| 19 | accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of |
| 20 | Education for the agency's specialization in accrediting massage |
| 21 | therapy education. |
| 22 | 2. Meets all of the qualifications for licensure under |
| 23 | this section, except for paragraphs (1)(c), (4)(b), and (4)(c). |
| 24 | (b) If an applicant desires to practice massage therapy |
| 25 | before becoming licensed by examination and completes a course |
| 26 | of study at a board-approved massage school, the applicant may |
| 27 | apply for a temporary permit in accordance with rules adopted |
| 28 | under this chapter. |
| 29 | (c) A temporary permit is valid for 6 months after |
| 30 | issuance by the board or until the applicant fails the massage |
| 31 | licensure examination or receives a massage therapist license, |
| 32 | whichever occurs first. |
| 33 | (d) An applicant for licensure by examination who |
| 34 | practices under a temporary permit may only practice massage |
| 35 | therapy under the supervision of a licensed massage therapist |
| 36 | who has a full, active, and unencumbered license. |
| 37 | Section 2. Paragraph (m) is added to subsection (1) of |
| 38 | section 480.044, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 39 | 480.044 Fees; disposition.- |
| 40 | (1) The board shall set fees according to the following |
| 41 | schedule: |
| 42 | (m) Temporary permit fee: not to exceed $50. |
| 43 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011. |