If SB 412 does pass the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, the Assembly floor will be the next stop for the June 2006 amended version of SB 412 (Figueroa, 2005-2006). Along with sending letters to the Appropriations Committee, send letters in opposition to SB 412 to your own assembly person. Focus letters on the adverse economic and financial impacts to the many small, private massage schools in California and to the student and community needs that these schools serve. While SB 412 is technically a title act, via its interactions with local massage laws, it will likely act as a defacto licensing act.
Phasing out of the 250 hour entry tier eliminates the pay-as-you-go means of entering massage practice. Most students, whether looking at full-time careers or very limited and focused part-time work, will be forced into relying on student loans. By eliminating the pay-as-you-go, modular/sequential educational paradigm, SB 412 will force smaller schools to compete head-on with accredited business colleges; to the detriment of both. If SB 412 passes as amended, most smaller massage therapy schools will likely close. With them will go the years of their owner's experience and the commitment to massage as a life practice. Given that the extra training hours don't address any specific safety issues or require any specific outcomes of training, this is a high cost to school owner's, students, and the communities benefiting from massage practitioners.
Every attempt was made to work with Senator Figueroa and her staff on this issue and to document the importance of the 250 hour tier to students and schools. The final wording, however, ignored our concerns. This is unfortunate — a lot of people worked hard to strike a consensus agreement within the profession itself. We cannot find satisfaction with the good parts of the bill knowing that it is ultimately framed to destroy the educational/economic niche relied on many students and schools. You can help retain the diversity and content quality of massage education by writing a letter opposing SB 412 to the chair of the Appropriations Committee and to your assemblymember, particularly if the are on the Appropriations Committee. A "cc" to the Governor's office would also be helpful.
For more information on these issues, please visit the California Alliance of Massage and Bodywork Schools (CAMBS) and the Massage Politics Sheet. Information on the members of the Assembly Committee on Appropriatons is immediately below. Email links, website links, and links to envelope files are included. You can find out who your representatives are at Project Vote Smart, using their 9-digit zip-code search.
Notes: The 66th district is currently vacant. It is not listed below. A few Assemblymembers don't list an email address. They generally have an email form on their website.