BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1904
Page 1
AS ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1904 (Bonilla)
As Introduced February 19, 2014
Majority vote
BUSINESS & PROFESSIONS 14-0
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|Ayes:|Bonilla, Jones, | | |
| |Bocanegra, Campos, | | |
| |Dickinson, Eggman, | | |
| |Gordon, Hagman, Holden, | | |
| |Maienschein, Mullin, | | |
| |Skinner, Ting, Wilk | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires a certified massage therapist or certified
massage practitioner to notify the California Massage Therapy
Council (Council) of his or her primary e-mail address, if any,
and notify the Council within 30 days of any change to the
primary e-mail address. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires a certificate holder to notify the Council of his or
her primary e-mail address, if any, and further notify the
Council within 30 days of any change to the primary e-mail
address.
2)Makes two additional technical and clarifying changes.
FISCAL EFFECT : None. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS :
1)In order for the Council to communicate more quickly and
economically with the professionals it regulates, this bill
requires certificate holders to provide the Council with an
e-mail address, if any, and update the Council if the e-mail
address changes within 30 days. This bill is author
sponsored.
2)According to the author, "This bill is one small step in a
long process to reform the current regulatory system for
massage professionals in California. Given the recent
AB 1904
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concerns raised by local governments and local law enforcement
entities that a growing number of massage businesses are
engaged in illegal activity, this bill simply requires
certificate holders to provide their e-mail addresses, if any,
to the Council so that it can communicate with them more
quickly and at a lower cost."
3)SB 731 (Oropeza), Chapter 384, Statutes of 2008, established a
system of voluntary statewide certification of massage
therapists by the Massage Therapy Organization, which was
renamed the California Massage Therapy Council in 2011. The
goal of the Council is to standardize the process of
certification throughout the state. The certifications it
provides allow massage professionals to work in multiple
California locations without the need for duplicative local
certifications. The Council is led by a volunteer Board of
Directors comprised of professionals from California's massage
community, including massage associations, schools, and
businesses. The Council's authority in statute is set to
expire on January 1, 2015, unless extended by legislative
action.
4)The sunset review process provides a formal mechanism for the
Legislature, Department of Consumer Affairs, the individual
regulatory entities, and other stakeholders to raise issues
and make recommendations for improvements to the various
consumer protection boards and bureaus. This is performed on
a standard four-year cycle and was mandated by SB 2036
(McCorquodale), Chapter 908, Statutes of 1994. The
legislation pertaining to this bill was based on specific
issues raised and addressed in the reports released by the
Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection
Committee.
In March of 2014, the Assembly Business, Professions and
Consumer Protection Committee and the Senate Business,
Professions and Economic Development Committee conducted joint
oversight hearings to review regulatory boards and other
entities, including the Council. While many issues were
raised as to how California's existing massage therapy
regulations should be reformed, this bill simply enacts one
reform among the many raised in the sunset hearings.
5)Massage California writes in opposition, "While we believe
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that it would be in the best interest of massage therapists to
keep a current e-mail on file with the [Council], to require
it would eliminate an option for applicants and certified
professionals to select how they wish to be contacted, as they
have in virtually every state agency, for-profit company and
nonprofit organization."
Analysis Prepared by : Elissa Silva / B., P. & C.P. / (916)
319-3301
FN: 0003268