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An Act To Define Licensed Massage Therapists as Health Care Practitioners
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §14301, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1997, c. 681, §1, is further amended to read:
 
3. Massage therapist or massage practitioner.   "Massage therapist" or "massage practitioner" means a person who is a health care practitioner as defined in Title 24, section 2502, subsection 1-A and who provides or offers to provide massage therapy for a fee, monetary or otherwise.
Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §14301, sub-§4, as amended by PL 1991, c. 548, Pt. E, is further amended to read:
 
4. Massage therapy.   "Massage therapy" means a health care practice that uses scientific or skillful manipulation of soft tissue for therapeutic or remedial purposes, specifically for improving muscle tone and circulation and promoting health and physical well-being. The term includes, but is not limited to, manual and mechanical procedures for the purpose of treating soft tissue only, the use of supplementary aids such as rubbing alcohol, liniments, oils, antiseptics, powders, herbal preparations, creams or lotions, procedures such as oil rubs, salt glows and hot or cold packs or other similar procedures or preparations commonly used in this practice. This term specifically excludes manipulation of the spine or articulations and excludes sexual contact as defined in Title 17-A, section 251, subsection 1, paragraph D.
Sec. 3. 32 MRSA §14306-C, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 681, §7, is amended to read:
 
1. License required.  Beginning on the effective date of this section, aA person may not, unless licensed in accordance with or specifically exempted by this chapter, claim to be a massage therapist or a massage practitioner unless licensed in accordance with this chapteror claim to provide any procedure that is described by any of the following words: "massage," "bodywork," "body therapy," "manual therapy," "neuromuscular therapy," "touch therapy" or "myotherapy" or related terms.
 
SUMMARY
This bill clarifies that massage therapists and massage practitioners are health care practitioners and that massage therapy is a health care practice. It prohibits unlicensed persons from claiming to provide procedures that are described as "massage," "bodywork," "body therapy," "manual therapy," "neuromuscular therapy," "touch therapy" or "myotherapy" or related terms.