Sec. 20-206a. Definitions. As used in subsection (c) of section 19a-14 and sections
20-206a to 20-206c, inclusive:
(a) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Public Health.
(b) "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
(c) "Connecticut licensed massage therapist" means a person who has been licensed
to practice massage therapy under the provisions of sections 20-206a to 20-206c, inclusive.
(d) "Massage therapy" means the systematic and scientific manipulation and treatment of the soft tissues of the body, by use of pressure, friction, stroking, percussion,
kneading, vibration by manual or mechanical means, range of motion and nonspecific
stretching. Massage therapy may include the use of oil, ice, hot and cold packs, tub,
shower, steam, dry heat, or cabinet baths, for the purpose of, but not limited to, maintaining good health and establishing and maintaining good physical and mental condition. Massage therapy does not encompass diagnosis, the prescribing of drugs or medicines, spinal or other joint manipulations, nor any service or procedure for which a
license to practice medicine, chiropractic, natureopathy, physical therapy, or podiatry
is required by law.
(P.A. 88-362, S. 6; P.A. 92-202, S. 1, 5; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)
History: P.A. 92-202 amended Subsec. (c) to substitute "licensed" for "certified", effective June 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381
replaced department and commissioner of health services with department and commissioner of public health and addiction
services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction
Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.
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Sec. 20-206b. Practice restricted to licensed persons. Qualifications. Application and renewal. Fees. Exceptions. Medical referral required. Title protection. (a)
No person shall engage in the practice of massage therapy unless the person has obtained
a license from the department pursuant to this section. Each person seeking licensure
as a massage therapist shall make application on forms prescribed by the department,
pay an application fee of three hundred dollars and present to the department satisfactory
evidence that the applicant: (1) Has graduated from a school of massage therapy offering
a course of study of not less than five hundred classroom hours, with the instructor
present, and, at the time of the applicant's graduation, was either (A) accredited by an
agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or by a state board of
postsecondary technical trade and business schools, or (B) accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, and (2) has passed the National Certification
Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Passing scores on the examination shall be prescribed by the department.
(b) Licenses shall be renewed once every two years in accordance with the provisions of section 19a-88. The fee for renewal shall be two hundred dollars. No license
shall be issued under this section to any applicant against whom professional disciplinary
action is pending or who is the subject of an unresolved complaint in this or any other
state or jurisdiction. Any certificate granted by the department prior to June 1, 1993,
shall be deemed a valid license permitting continuance of profession subject to the
provisions of this chapter.
(c) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the department may issue a license to an applicant whose school of massage therapy does not
satisfy the requirement of subparagraph (A) or (B) of subdivision (1) of said subsection
(a), provided the school held, at the time of the applicant's graduation, a certificate
issued by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to section 10-7b and provided the
applicant graduated within thirty-three months of the date said school first offered the
curriculum completed by the applicant. No license shall be issued under this subsection
to a graduate of a school that fails to apply for and obtain accreditation by (1) an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, or (2) the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation within thirty-three months of the date said
school first offered the curriculum.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section and subdivision
(1) of this subsection, the department may issue a license to an applicant who submits
evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that the applicant (A) was enrolled, on or
before July 1, 2005, in a school of massage therapy that was approved or accredited by
a state board of postsecondary technical trade and business schools or a state agency
recognized as such state's board of postsecondary technical trade and business schools,
(B) graduated from a school of massage therapy with a course of study of not less
than five hundred classroom hours, with the instructor present, that at the time of the
applicant's graduation was approved or accredited by a state board of postsecondary
technical trade and business schools or a state agency recognized as such state's board
of postsecondary technical trade and business schools, and (C) has passed the National
Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Passing scores on
the examination shall be prescribed by the department.
(d) Each person licensed pursuant to this section has an affirmative duty to make
a written referral to a licensed healing arts practitioner, as defined in section 20-1, of
any client who has any physical or medical condition that would constitute a contraindication for massage therapy or that may require evaluation or treatment beyond the scope
of massage therapy.
(e) No person shall use the title "Connecticut licensed massage therapist" unless
the person holds a license issued in accordance with this section.
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the commissioner may issue a license to an out-of-state applicant who submits evidence satisfactory
to the commissioner of either: (1) (A) A current license to practice therapeutic massage
from another state or jurisdiction, (B) documentation of practice for at least one year
immediately preceding application, and (C) successful completion of the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork; or (2) (A) graduation
from a school of massage therapy offering a course of study of not less than five hundred
classroom hours, with the instructor present, and, at the time of the applicant's graduation, was either (i) accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department
of Education or by a state board of postsecondary technical trade and business schools,
or (ii) accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, and (B) successful completion of the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage
and Bodywork.
(P.A. 88-362, S. 7; P.A. 92-202, S. 2, 5; P.A. 93-296, S. 2, 10; P.A. 94-210, S. 24, 30; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S.
121, 130; P.A. 95-328, S. 1, 4; P.A. 97-213, S. 11, 13; P.A. 98-166, S. 8, 9; P.A. 99-126, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4,
S. 49, 58; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3, S. 21; P.A. 04-221, S. 35.)
History: P.A. 92-202 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions that no person may practice after October 1, 1993, without
a license, to raise the fee to three hundred dollars, to add a renewal fee of one hundred dollars and to make provisions for
those currently practicing under certificates and amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to replace "certified" with "licensed",
effective June 1, 1993; P.A. 93-296 amended Subsec. (a) to extend date from October 1, 1993, to February 1, 1994, and
to add Commission on Massage Training Accreditation/Approval, inserted new Subsec. (b) re exceptions to Subsec. (a)
requirements and relettered former Subsecs. (b) and (c) accordingly, effective June 29, 1993; P.A. 94-210 amended Subsec.
(a) to change February 1, 1994, to June 30, 1994, effective June 9, 1994; May 25 Sp. Sess. 94-1 amended Subsec. (a) to
add February 1, 1994 as end date for meeting Subdiv. (1) or (2) requirements, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-328 expanded
acceptable accrediting agencies in Subsec. (a) to include those recognized by a state and added as an alternative examination
one approved by the American Massage Therapy Association prior to July 1, 1995, effective July 13, 1995; P.A. 97-213
amended Subsec. (a)(1) to substitute "graduated from a school of massage therapy offering" for "successfully completed",
required that, for purposes of Subparas. (A) and (B), school be accredited at the time of the applicant's graduation, rewrote
provisions and made technical changes, amended Subsec. (a)(2) to delete exception for certain applicants prior to June 30,
1994, and added new Subsec. (e) to allow commissioner to issue license to certain applicants who apply not later than
October 1, 1997, effective June 26, 1997; P.A. 98-166 amended Subsec. (e) by deleting reference to licensure based on a
foreign degree prior to October 1, 1997, added new Subdiv. (1) re Connecticut license based on foreign license, certification
or training, renumbered former Subdiv. (1) as Subdiv. (2) allowing Connecticut licensure based on foreign license, certification or training provided application is prior to October 1, 1998, effective June 4, 1998; P.A. 99-126 amended Subsec.
(a)(1)(A) by replacing "and approved by the American Massage Therapy Association" with "or by a state board of postsecondary technical trade and business schools" amended Subsec. (a)(1)(B) by replacing "Training Accreditation/Approval"
with "Therapy Accreditation", amended Subsec. (a)(2) by replacing "an examination prescribed by the department or has
passed a national certification examination approved by the American Massage Therapy Association prior to July 1, 1995"
with "the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork", divided Subsec. (a) into Subsecs.
(a) and (b) and relettered the remaining Subsecs., amended Subsec. (b) by changing "state or territory" to "state or jurisdiction", amended Subsec. (c) by dividing qualifications into Subdivs. (1) and (2), deleting "and either accreditation or approval
by" in Subdiv. (1) and replacing "Training Accreditation/Approval" with "Therapy Accreditation" in Subdiv. (2), amended
Subsec. (f)(1) by replacing "a license, certification or training with focus on" with "a current license to practice", deleted
former Subsec. (f)(2) that allowed licensure based on foreign license, certification or training, deleted former Subsec. (f)(3)
that allowed licensure based on licensure as a nurse with certification as a neuromuscular therapist or by the National
Certification Board for Massage and Body Work, added new Subsec. (F)(2) re documentation of practice for at least one
year immediately preceding application, added new Subsec. (f)(3) re successful completion of the National Certification
Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and made technical changes; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4 amended
Subsec. (f) by changing "applicant" to "out-of-state applicant", designating existing Subdivs. (1) to (3) as Subdivs. (1)(A)
to (1)(C) and adding new Subdiv. (2) re alternative licensing requirements, effective July 1, 2001; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A.
03-3 amended Subsec. (b) by changing license renewal from annually to biennially and increasing renewal fee from one
hundred dollars to two hundred dollars, effective January 1, 2004; P.A. 04-221 amended Subsec. (c) by designating existing
provisions as Subdiv. (1), making a technical change therein, and adding Subdiv. (2) re alternative qualifications for
licensure, effective June 8, 2004.
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Sec. 20-206c. Disciplinary action. Grounds. The department may take any action
set forth in section 19a-17 if a person issued a license pursuant to section 20-206b fails
to conform to the accepted standards of the massage therapy profession, including, but
not limited to, the following: Conviction of a felony; fraud or deceit in the practice of
massage therapy; negligent, incompetent or wrongful conduct in professional activities;
emotional disorder or mental illness; physical illness including, but not limited to, deterioration through the aging process; abuse or excessive use of drugs, including alcohol,
narcotics or chemicals; wilful falsification of entries into any client record pertaining
to massage therapy; failure to make a written referral, as required in section 20-206b;
violation of any provisions of sections 20-206a to 20-206c, inclusive. The commissioner
may order a license holder to submit to a reasonable physical or mental examination if
the license holder's physical or mental capacity to practice safely is the subject of an
investigation. The commissioner may petition the superior court for the judicial district
of Hartford to enforce such order or any action taken pursuant to section 19a-17. Notice
of any contemplated action under said section, the cause of the action and the date of a
hearing on the action shall be given and an opportunity for hearing afforded in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.
(P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; 88-362, S. 8; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 92-202, S. 3, 5; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S.
4-6; P.A. 99-126, S. 2.)
History: P.A. 88-230 replaced "judicial district of Hartford-New Britain" with "judicial district of Hartford", effective
September 1, 1991; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993;
P.A. 92-202 replaced "certificate" with "license", effective June 1, 1993; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A.
88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date
of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 99-126 deleted reference to
Subsec. (b) of Sec. 20-206b and replaced "his" with "the license holder's".
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Sec. 20-206d. Exempt activities. (a) No provision of this chapter shall be construed to prohibit a student of massage therapy enrolled in a school of massage therapy
which satisfies the requirements of section 20-206b from performing work as a required
component of his course of study at such school, provided the student shall not hold
himself out as licensed as a massage therapist and shall not receive compensation for
such work.
(b) No provision of this chapter shall be construed to prohibit an instructor of massage therapy from demonstrating massage therapy techniques as a component of a course
of instruction in a course, seminar or workshop, provided (1) the instruction is under
the direct supervision of a licensed massage therapist; (2) the instructor is not a resident
of this state; (3) the instructor does not represent himself as a Connecticut licensed
massage therapist; (4) the instructor is licensed or certified as a massage therapist in his
home state, territory or country, if such licensure or certification is required; (5) the
instructor does not receive compensation for massage therapy services, other than compensation as an instructor; and (6) the demonstrated massage therapy services are available only to persons enrolled in the course, seminar or workshop.
(c) No provision of this chapter shall be construed to prohibit an out-of-state massage therapist who (1) is licensed or certified in another state whose standards for licensure or certification are equivalent to or greater than those required in this state, or (2)
if licensure or certification is not required in such other state, is a member in good
standing of the American Massage Therapy Association, from providing uncompensated massage therapy services during the Special Olympics or similar athletic competitions for persons with disabilities, provided such out-of-state massage therapist (A) does
not represent himself or herself to be a Connecticut licensed massage therapist; (B)
provides massage therapy under the supervision of a Connecticut licensed massage
therapist; and (C) only provides massage therapy to persons participating in the Special
Olympics or similar athletic competitions for persons with disabilities.
(P.A. 93-296, S. 3, 10; P.A. 95-328, S. 2, 4; P.A. 05-272, S. 21.)
History: P.A. 93-296 effective June 29, 1993; P.A. 95-328 added Subsec. (b) re exemption for out-of-state instructors;
P.A. 05-272 added Subsec. (c) to create exemption allowing out-of-state massage therapists to provide uncompensated
massage therapy services during Special Olympics or similar athletic competitions for persons with disabilities under
certain circumstances, effective July 13, 2005.
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Sec. 20-206e. Temporary permit. The department may, upon receipt of an application for massage therapist licensure, accompanied by the licensure application fee of
three hundred dollars, issue a temporary permit to a person who has met the requirements
of subsection (a) of section 20-206b, except that the applicant has not yet sat for or
received the results of the examination required under said subsection (a). Such temporary permit shall authorize the permittee to practice as a massage therapist under the
supervision of a person licensed pursuant to section 20-206b. Such practice shall be
limited to those settings where the licensed supervisor is physically present on the premises and is immediately available to render assistance and supervision, as needed, to the
permittee. Such temporary permit shall be valid for a period not to exceed one hundred
twenty calendar days after the date of completion of the required course of study in
massage therapy and shall not be renewable. Such permit shall become void and shall
not be reissued in the event that the permittee fails to pass the examination for licensure.
No permit shall be issued to any person who has previously failed the examination for
licensure prescribed pursuant to section 20-206b or who is the subject of an unresolved
complaint or pending professional disciplinary action. Violation of the restrictions on
practice set forth in this section may constitute a basis for denial of licensure as a massage
therapist.
(P.A. 94-210, S. 11, 30; P.A. 99-126, S. 3; P.A. 04-221, S. 12.)
History: P.A. 94-210 effective June 9, 1994; P.A. 99-126 deleted provision re completion of a course of study satisfying
requirements of Sec. 20-206b(a)(1) or (b), added provision allowing temporary license to a person who has met the requirements of Sec. 20-206b(a) but has not yet sat for or received the result of the required examination and made technical
changes; P.A. 04-221 limited temporary permit to one hundred twenty days, prohibited renewal of such permit and made
technical and conforming changes.
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Sec. 20-206f. Continuing education requirements. (a) Each person licensed in
accordance with the provisions of sections 20-206a to 20-206e, inclusive, shall complete
a minimum of twenty-four hours of continuing education every four years. Such four-year period shall commence on the first date of renewal of the licensee's license after
October 1, 2003. The continuing education shall be in areas related to the licensee's
practice, including, but not limited to, courses offered by providers that are approved
by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
(b) No more than six continuing education units shall be completed via the Internet
or distance learning and no more than twelve continuing education units shall be obtained
from providers that are not approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic
Massage and Bodywork. For purposes of this section, "continuing education unit" means
fifty to sixty minutes of participation in accredited continuing professional education.
(c) The Department of Public Health may require an applicant for license renewal
to submit evidence of continuing education on forms that may be prescribed by the
department. Each licensee shall maintain records, or certificates or other evidence of
compliance with continuing education requirements for a period of six years. Failure
on the part of the licensee to demonstrate that such continuing education requirements
have been met shall be grounds for disciplinary action pursuant to section 20-206c.
(d) This section shall not apply to licensees who have been continuously licensed
since February 1, 1994. The continuing education requirements shall be waived for
licensees applying for licensure renewal for the first time. The department may, for a
licensee who has a medical disability or illness, grant a waiver of the continuing education requirements for a specific period of time or may grant the licensee an extension
of time in which to fulfill the requirements.
(P.A. 03-118, S. 3; P.A. 04-221, S. 25.)
History: P.A. 04-221 amended Subsec. (d) by changing beginning date for continuous licensure from October 1, 1993,
to February 1, 1994, effective June 8, 2004.
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Secs. 20-206g to 20-206l. Reserved for future use.
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