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HB 245 — Massage Therapy
by Reps. Chaney and others (CS/SB 352 by Health Policy Committee and Senator Rodriguez)
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Health Policy Committee (HP)
The bill replaces the term “massage” with “massage therapy” throughout ch. 480, F.S., and specifies that massage therapy is a therapeutic health care practice. The bill revises the legislative purpose for the necessity of regulating massage practice. Under current law, the Legislature had recognized the practice of massage as being potentially dangerous to the public. Under the bill, the Legislature recognizes that unregulated massage therapy poses a danger to the public.
The bill expands the scope of practice of massage therapy to include:
- Manipulation of the soft tissues of the human body to include use of the knee, whereas current law authorized the massage therapist to use only his or her hand, foot, arm, or elbow during the course of massage therapy treatment; and
- “Massage therapy assessments,” which the bill defines as the massage therapist’s determination of the course of a patient’s massage therapy treatment, for compensation.
Additionally, the bill provides an avenue for a massage therapist to bill health insurers and HMOs for massage-related services that are not applicable under current law.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect July 1, 2021.
Vote: Senate 38-1; House 115-0