SB253 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Garlan GudgerSenator

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Massage Therapy Licensing Board temporarily under Board of Nursing; authorize Executive Director of the Board of Nursing, or designee to perform certain functions; define and provide for emergency order; clarify status of practice with a temporary permit; provide for annual meeting; require a majority vote to discipline licensee; provide further for the qualifications for licensing and the contents of an application; outcall massage therapy services and inspections of massage therapy establishments; to authorize the board, by rule, to establish and collect reasonable fees; to provide further for investigations, discipline, and fingerprinting of licensees and applicants for licensing; and to provide further for massage therapy schools.

Summary

SB253 restructures Alabama's massage therapy regulation by creating a new Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board under a phased transition from the Board of Nursing, and adds licensing, enforcement, and school requirements with new emergency powers.

What This Bill Does

The bill terminates the old Massage Therapy Board and reconstitutes it as the Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board, with transitional powers temporarily handled by the Board of Nursing until the new board is fully established. It authorizes the Executive Director of the Board of Nursing or their designee to perform the new board’s duties during the transition, defines emergency orders, and allows for temporary permits that are exempt from regulation. It sets licensing qualifications, application contents, outcall service rules, and establishment inspections; authorizes the board to set fees and conduct fingerprinting, investigations, and disciplinary actions; establishes an emergency order process to close establishments and provide a hearing path; and outlines school accreditation, instructor licensing, and student/licensing requirements, with a June 1, 2025 effective date and a transition to full operation by October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Massage therapists, massage therapy establishments, and licensees who must meet new licensing standards, undergo background checks, display licenses, and may face disciplinary actions or probation under new procedures.
• Massage therapy schools and instructors, which must be approved, meet curriculum and hour requirements, register with the board, and follow board rules and inspections.

Key Provisions

• The existing Alabama Board of Massage Therapy is terminated and reorganized as the Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board; transitional duties are handled by the Board of Nursing until the new board is formed and operational by 10/1/2026.
• The Executive Director of the Board of Nursing or their designee may perform powers and duties of the new Massage Therapy Licensing Board during the transition.
• Emergency orders are created to suspend or close a massage therapy establishment when public safety is at immediate risk, with a process for findings, compliance steps, and potential formal hearings.
• A temporary permit for massage therapy practice is exempt from regulation, and a regulation framework is provided for outcall services, inspections, and for establishing and collecting board fees.
• Licensing requirements for massage therapists include defined education hours, examination options, and mandatory fingerprint-based background checks; violations can lead to disciplinary actions by the board.
• Massage therapy establishments must obtain licenses, employ licensed therapists, undergo inspections, and post licenses; establishment licenses are non-transferable and subject to renewal rules and fees.
• Massage therapy schools and instructors must be approved and registered; instructors must be licensed as therapists and registered as instructors; curriculum requirements and ongoing oversight are specified.
• The board may set, adjust, and collect fees for licenses, renewals, registrations, and related activities, with funds deposited into the Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board Fund separate from general revenues.
• Advertising, credential display, and ethical standards are established, including restrictions on advertising unlicensed services and requiring license numbers on ads.
• Criminal history background checks are required for applicants and licensees, with processes for fingerprinting and FBI checks, confidentiality provisions, and potential costs passed to applicants.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Occupational Licensing Boards