Help protect massage therapy and wellness-related programs by submitting a comment by May 20. Your perspective as a practicing professional (whether you received financial aid or not), a business owner, an educator, or a school leader carries weight, particularly with your congressional representative. Your voice matters.
Government Relations
With a busy media stream competing for your attention, it can be difficult to find the energy to engage with an advocacy call to action. But supporting your profession matters and advocacy fatigue can pop up if you don’t find a balance. Learn how to stay informed and take action while protecting your peace in a face-paced environment.
A new law will affect how licensed massage therapists (LMTs) and registered massage practitioners (RMPs) may advertise their services and may require professionals and businesses to update advertising materials across platforms, such as business cards, websites, and more.
In a profession built on personal relationships, the question of who “owns” the client is not always straightforward. Is it the business or the service provider? Non-solicitation agreements have been a staple in the beauty and wellness space, but as states begin regulating employment restrictions for licensed massage therapists, some professionals are asking whether these agreements still belong in 2026.
We invite Colorado LMTs to be a part of Massage Therapy Legislative Awareness Day, co-hosted by Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) and the American Massage Therapy Association–Colorado Chapter. We’re looking for massage therapists to provide complimentary chair massages to legislators and their staff. Join us at the Capitol.
Senate File 1131 once promised real progress for Minnesota massage and bodywork therapists has taken a turn, but don’t give up hope quite yet. The bill was amended from a strong statewide licensure model to a voluntary registration model, which would do nothing to advance the profession. ABMP opposes these amendments because your profession merits regulation that protects your work and your clients and we will not support anything less.
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is rolling out a major upgrade to its licensing system, and this will cause a temporary credentialing freeze in mid-March. Avoid any last-minute stress with your massage therapy license renewal this spring and renewal early.
Establishment registration requirements, human trafficking awareness signage obligations, and expectations for business owners may impact how you maintain compliance and manage day-to-day operations. The Department of Health’s Division for Health Protection is accepting comments though March 2.
The US Department of Education (ED) is proposing a set of rules that would establish a new accountability standard for higher education programs with low earnings outcomes. The proposed rules, if formalized, will make a higher education program ineligible for Title IV Higher Education Act (HEA) funds if the program fails a do-no-harm test that sets an earnings standard for its graduates. While all postsecondary institutions will face the repercussions from these rules if passed, schools in the wellness, somatic, and beauty professions could see significant impacts.
Do you want to serve the best interests of your profession and the public while ensuring ongoing competence and high standards of practice? ABMP does, and if you do too, help us support licensing efforts in Minnesota!