Hello Texas massage therapists, somatic therapists and Asian bodyworkers.  If you touch people you will want to know about a proposed bill by House Representative Rafael Anchia (Democrat-Dallas).  This bill has not yet been introduced to committee.

 

Below is a letter to Rep. Anchia from the Texas representatives of the Federation of Therapeutic Massage, Bodywork and Somatic Practice Organizations that I have been given permission to forward. There was a local coalition created some years ago that was instrumental in removing non-Swedish bodywork modalities that were specifically named or generally implied in the massage therapy law.  I supported that organization because I believed that nationally certified practitioners of bodywork modalities that required as much or more A&P than Texas massage therapists should not have to go through the time and expense of massage school in order to legally practice their craft in this state.  To be fair, the downside of that move is that those modalities no longer count as qualified CEs for licensure. Another question it raises for some: who regulates these other modalities in our state and is the public safe?  Modalities that move structure and are currently considered “energy” techniques, such as Zero Balancing, Quantum Touch and Touch for Health, may also come under scrutiny.  Polarity Therapy was once part of the massage therapy law. Of course there are still those that want to erase all bodywork laws. 

 

No matter what camp you are in, there are those who have influence over your ability to earn income and we should at least be aware of them and what they are up to.

 

I have posted Rep. Anchia’s proposed bill and an alternative bill drafted by a new school coalition called TAMSO here: http://www.healingtouchtherapies.com/html/massage_laws.html  Perhaps one of the school directors in know will have time to explain about TAMSO, how it came to be and who their proposal represents.  Alex recently mentioned something in the Central Texas Massage group about waiting for DSHS to approve Asian bodywork for CEs but I didn’t catch that in the TAMSO document.  Maybe I missed it – I was still in shock from reading Rep. Anchia’s document.

 

Many massage therapists may assume we are represented by the associations we belong to (Texas Association of Massage Therapists http://www.texasmassagetherapists.com   and the Texas Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association http://www.amtatexaschapter.org  ).  I checked both websites but didn’t see any mention of either of these proposals; nor do the websites give any information about any influential bodies such as the Texas Coalition of Massage Schools and Instructors  http://www.tcmsi.org or this new TAMSO. 

 

I encourage all bodyworkers to read the documents and take whatever personal action inspires you.

 

Sincerely

 

 

 

January 29, 2007

The Honorable Rafael Anchia
Texas House of Representatives
Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910

Capitol Office:
Room EXT E2.412
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768


Re: Your proposed  Massage Therapy Bill

Dear Representative Anchia:

On January 10 of this year, Texas Representatives of two national member organizations of the Federation of Therapeutic Massage, Bodywork and Somatic Practice Organizations, namely, Pam Ferguson (American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia - AOBTA.) and Steve Collins (the Rolf Institute. for Structural Integration), met with your chief advisers along with Heather Muehr, Stephen Mills, and Dan Meador of DSHS Professional Licensing and Certification Unit, and with Alex Matthews of ACC.

We support your efforts to break the illegal trafficking of young women for prostitution, and to tighten loopholes in Dallas business laws. We are as horrified as you are at the misuse of terms like "massage" and "bodywork" for illicit purposes in the Dallas strip joints in your constituency.

However we have deep concerns about your proposed Massage Therapy Bill and how it will impact a wide range of health professionals in Texas, even though the aim of your Bill is to close the strip joints.

Pam and Steve shared a constructive and frank discussion in your offices at the Capitol. But it became evident that your chief advisers were not aware of the eight different health professional associations representing massage, bodywork and somatic practices in the Federation (www.federationmbs.org/members.html). Massage therapy is just one of these professions. Your chief advisers and Heather Muehr and Stephen Mills were very receptive to recommendations to address the unacceptable issues in the bill.

But Pam was later told by Tim Dickey that all our respective professions would be classified under the umbrella title of "massage therapy" requiring all our professional members in Texas to become Licensed Massage Therapists even if they do not practice massage. This erroneous classification could kill your bill.  It would be like requiring everyone in the building business to become Licensed Bricklayers even if they are electricians, plumbers, carpenters, tile experts, roofers, and architects.

At this stage we understand you are holding further discussions with members of the TX massage therapy community, but we still await a draft of the proposed changes and a timeline. As the Federation represents the leading professional associations in the field of massage, bodywork and somatic practices, we are concerned that we were not collectively consulted as experts in the field prior to your drafting a bill that could affect all our professional members practicing in Texas.

Requiring all of us to register as Massage Therapists is not only inaccurate, but will confuse the public, clients and other health professionals. Each of our members is required to pass the highest educational standards and certification requirements (often requiring double the hours required for massage therapy). AOBTA members also have a separate national board certification exam through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

We are open to an ongoing dialogue between your team and a broad range of representatives of our associations. This will certainly show your Dallas constituents your willingness to work with the top professionals and educators within our comprehensive field.  We urge you to do this because we know from experience that there will be a huge outcry from our community if you proceed with the bill in its current form.

Sincerely,



Texas Representatives:

Pamela Ellen Ferguson, Dipl. ABT (NCCAOM), AOBTA. and GSD Certified Instructor, LMT (Texas)
Texas State Representative, American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia
Austin, TX 78757
fwpb39@...
 
Steven A Collins, Certified Advanced Rolfer, LMT (Texas)
Texas Liaison, Laws and Legislation, Rolf Institute. for Structural Integration
Austin, Texas 78746
wherever@...
 
Bill Scholl
Certified Trager. Practitioner; Trager Instructor; LMT (Texas); LMI (Texas)
Texas Legislative Director,
United States Trager. Association
Austin, Texas 78704
billstrageremail@...

MaryBeth D. Smith, MM, GCFP (Master of Music, Guild Certified Feldenkrais. Practitioner)
The Feldenkrais Center of Houston
Houston TX  77056
info@...

Suzanne Wright Crain
ISMETA - Registered Somatic Movement Educator (RSME.)
ISMETA Texas Government Relations Representative
San Antonio, TX 78210
SWCsprouts@...


National Representatives and Policy Directors:

Yolanda Asher, AOBTA.-Certified Instructor, Dipl. ABT (NCCAOM)
National Legislative Director
American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (AOBTA.)
770-498-3761   legislative@...
www.aobta.org

Michael Purcell
National Regulation Coordinator
Feldenkrais Guild. of North America (FGNA)
530-274-9977   MPPurcell@...
www.feldenkrais.com

Henry Bornstein
Law & Legislation Chair
United States Trager. Association
510-841-3766   hbornstein@...
www.trager-us.org

Michael Wm. Murphy
Chair, Law and Legislation Committee
Rolf Institute. for Structural Integration
MurphyRolf@...
www.rolf.org

Mary Abrams
Government Regulation Representative
International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA)
413-446-6009   maryabrams@...
www.ismeta.org

LaRose Daniels
National Legislative Director
American Polarity Therapy Association
LaRose@...
www.polaritytherapy.org/