Florida Senate - 2011 CS for SB 584
By the Committee on Health Regulation; and Senator Flores
588-02271-11 2011584c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to massage therapy; amending s.
3 480.041, F.S.; requiring applicants to apply for a
4 temporary permit upon forms prepared and furnished by
5 the Department of Health in accordance with the Board
6 of Massage Therapy’s rules; authorizing the Board of
7 Massage Therapy to issue temporary permits to
8 applicants who meet certain qualifications to practice
9 massage therapy; providing for the expiration of
10 temporary permits; providing limitations; amending s.
11 480.044, F.S.; providing for a temporary permit fee;
12 providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Section 480.041, Florida Statutes, is amended to
17 read:
18 480.041 Massage therapists; qualifications; temporary
19 permits; licensure; endorsement.—
20 (1) Any person is qualified for licensure as a massage
21 therapist under this act who:
22 (a) Is at least 18 years of age or has received a high
23 school diploma or graduate equivalency diploma;
24 (b) Has completed a course of study at a board-approved
25 massage school or has completed an apprenticeship program that
26 meets standards adopted by the board; and
27 (c) Has received a passing grade on an examination
28 administered by the department.
29 (2) Every person desiring to be examined for licensure as a
30 massage therapist shall apply to the department in writing upon
31 forms prepared and furnished by the department. Such applicants
32 shall be subject to the provisions of s. 480.046(1). Applicants
33 may take an examination administered by the department only upon
34 meeting the requirements of this section as determined by the
35 board.
36 (3) Upon an applicant’s passing the examination and paying
37 the initial licensure fee, the department shall issue to the
38 applicant a license, valid until the next scheduled renewal
39 date, to practice massage.
40 (4) The board shall adopt rules:
41 (a) Establishing a minimum training program for
42 apprentices.
43 (b) Providing for educational standards, examination, and
44 certification for the practice of colonic irrigation, as defined
45 in s. 480.033(6), by massage therapists.
46 (c) Specifying licensing procedures for practitioners
47 desiring to be licensed in this state who hold an active license
48 and have practiced in any other state, territory, or
49 jurisdiction of the United States or any foreign national
50 jurisdiction which has licensing standards substantially similar
51 to, equivalent to, or more stringent than the standards of this
52 state.
53 (5) An applicant for a temporary permit shall apply to the
54 department in writing upon forms prepared and furnished by the
55 department in accordance with the board’s rules.
56 (a) The board may issue a temporary permit to practice
57 massage therapy to an applicant who:
58 1. Graduates from a massage therapy school that is
59 accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United
60 States Department of Education.
61 2. Meets all of the qualifications for licensure under this
62 section, except for the provision of paragraph (1)(b) which
63 pertains to the completion of an apprenticeship program and
64 paragraphs (1)(c), (4)(b), and (4)(c).
65 (b) If an applicant desires to practice massage therapy
66 before becoming licensed by examination and completes a course
67 of study at a massage school that has been approved by the board
68 and accredited under subparagraph (a)1., the applicant may apply
69 for a temporary permit in accordance with rules adopted under
70 this chapter.
71 (c) A temporary permit is valid for 6 months after issuance
72 by the board or until the applicant fails the massage licensure
73 examination or receives a massage therapist license, whichever
74 occurs first.
75 (d) An applicant for licensure by examination who practices
76 under a temporary permit may practice massage therapy only under
77 the supervision of a licensed massage therapist who has a full,
78 active, and unencumbered license.
79 Section 2. Paragraph (m) is added to subsection (1) of
80 section 480.044, Florida Statutes, to read:
81 480.044 Fees; disposition.—
82 (1) The board shall set fees according to the following
83 schedule:
84 (m) Temporary permit fee: $50.
85 Section 3. This act shall take effect January 3, 2012.