The House Commerce Committee has approved SB 1295a, the bill to license massage therapists in Idaho, after extensive testimony, nearly all in favor of the bill. The Senate-passed bill now moves to the full House for a vote.

Suzanne Budge, lobbyist for the American Massage Therapy Association Idaho Chapter, told the committee the bill would set a maximum annual licensing fee of $200, but a licensing board would likely set it lower, just to cover the costs of the program. "They're willing to bear those costs because licensing is important to them," Budge said. "They ... truly believe the time has arrived for Idaho to join these 43 other states including all of our surrounding states, and provide for licensure of this practice here." Among other provisions, the bill would revoke licensing for anyone who engaged in lewd or unlawful behavior with a client.

Paul Weston, massage therapy coordinator for Gritman Medical Center in Moscow, said the bill "creates entry-level standards for the massage therapy profession." Currently, he said, "There are no appropriate safeguards for the consumer. ... The use of massage therapy has grown exponentially. ... It now plays an incredibly important role in individual wellness and health care today."

The bill would give massage therapists 18 months to become licensed. Budge said Idaho State University trains massage therapists, but has had problems placing students because of Idaho's lack of licensing standards. "You have a person on a table who is much more vulnerable than someone getting their nails painted or their hair cut," she said. "This gives the state a tool to deal with those individuals."