California

Governor Newsom announced on July 13, 2020, that counties that have remained on the County Monitoring List for three consecutive days must close indoor businesses, which includes those offering personal care services as of July 13, 2020, “unless they can be modified to operate outside or by pick-up.” It has been interpreted that working outside is working outside of your establishment, so if you are required to have an establishment license, you are most likely not allowed to work outside.

There have been many changes in the massage therapy industry and community in response to COVID-19 (coronavirus), from executive orders affecting businesses, to emergency rulemaking altering renewal processes, to distance learning modifying the student experience. ABMP has summarized below how COVID-19 has impacted the licensing regulations and laws in the state of California, and we encourage you to also look at the information regarding the CARES Act outlined at the bottom of this email, which addresses financial aid and unemployment benefits and other programs.

As you are aware, the California Massage Therapy Act is up for sunset review this legislative session. However, ABMP just received confirmation that the California Legislature is adjourned until April 13, 2020. As such, the March 24, 2020, committee hearing is canceled. This is in response to COVID-19 (coronavirus) and the legislature engaging in social distancing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. At this time, we do not know when a hearing will be rescheduled.

The California Massage Therapy Act is up for sunset review this legislative session. This is a periodic review—the legislature assesses the state of regulation of massage therapy practice, examining how well it serves public interest. In a sunset review, the legislative committee charged with oversight of a profession evaluates the need, effectiveness, and performance of an agency (in this case, the California Massage Therapy Council, or CAMTC) for the purpose of improvement or discontinuance.