Thanks for Reading! Don't miss this deal. Get Standard Digital access to enjoy this article and more. Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken a step toward professionalizing the massage industry by signing a bill to create statewide regulations for therapists. The bill, by state Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Redondo Beach, had strong backing from the massage industry, which wanted to replace city-by-city regulations with a clear statewide standard.
But some smaller massage schools and independent practitioners opposed the measure, which they said could ultimately force new therapists to get expensive training while doing little to protect customers. When you start to regulate that, you reduce the creativity.
The bill, SB , will set up a two-tiered certification system. As the law now stands, cities and counties regulate massage businesses through zoning and health ordinances. The new certificate is voluntary, and those who wish to continue operating with their local certification would be free to do so.
Rob Flammia, a masseur based in Berkeley, said that the bill would benefit large chains, such as Massage Envy, which could set up uniform training and move its employees easily around the state. Flammia said he started 20 years ago after taking a hour program, and the body has not changed so much since then to require an extra hours of training. He said he worried that ultimately the state licensing will become mandatory, as it has in other states.
Law enforcement groups supported the measure because they believe that it will make it easier to police prostitution at massage parlors. View more on San Bernardino Sun. Already a subscriber? Share this: Print. Exit mobile version.
