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*hb0042*
HOUSE BILL 42
J2 6lr1192
(PRE–FILED) CF SB 419
By: Delegate Bagnall
Requested: October 14, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Health
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 14, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Health Occupations – State Board of Massage Therapy Examiners – Revisions 2
FOR the purpose of authorizing an individual registered by the State Board of Massage 3
Therapy Examiners to practice massage therapy in the State to continue to practice 4
massage therapy beyond a certain date; altering the requirements an individual 5
must meet to qualify for a license to practice massage therapy; repealing obsolete 6
qualifications for registered massage practitioners; repealing the requirement that 7
the imposition of a certain administrative penalty be subject to certain hearing 8
requirements; al tering certain reinstatement and reactivation requirements; and 9
generally relating to massage therapists. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Health Occupations 12
Section 6–301(a), 6–302, 6–305(d), 6–306, and 6–306.2 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Health Occupations 18
6–301. 19
2 HOUSE BILL 42
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this title, be fore an individual may practice 1
massage therapy in the State, the individual shall be: 2
(1) [On or before October 31, 2026: 3
(i)] Licensed by the Board; or 4
[(ii)] (2) Registered by the Board to practice massage therapy in a 5
setting that is not a health care setting[; or 6
(2) On or after November 1, 2026, licensed by the Board]. 7
6–302. 8
(a) In this section, “contact hour” means 50 minutes of actual instructional time 9
per each 60–minute hour. 10
(b) To qualify for a license, an applicant shall be an individual who: 11
(1) Is of good moral character; 12
(2) Is at least 18 years old; 13
(3) [Has] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION, 14
HAS graduated from an institution of postsecondary education, as defined in § 10 –101 of 15
the Education Article and approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, with 16
at least 750 contact hours of education in a curriculum: 17
(i) Approved by the Board; 18
(ii) Endorsed by: 19
1. The Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation; or 20
2. An eq uivalent entity that accredits both institutions of 21
higher education and programs offering instruction in massage therapy; and 22
(iii) Accredited by an institutional accreditation agency recognized by 23
[the]: 24
1. THE United States Department of Education; OR 25
2. ANOTHER ENTITY THAT A CCREDITS PROGRAMS 26
OFFERING INSTRUCTION IN MASSAGE THERAPY; 27
HOUSE BILL 42 3
(4) [Has] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION, 1
HAS completed 750 contact hours of education in a Board–approved program for the study 2
of massage therapy that includes the following areas of content: 3
(i) Anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology; 4
(ii) Massage therapy theory; 5
(iii) Contraindications and pathology; 6
(iv) Professional ethics; 7
(v) Health and hygiene; 8
(vi) Research; 9
(vii) Supervised hands–on techniques; and 10
(viii) Clinical assessment and documentation; 11
(5) Has passed an examination approved by the Board; and 12
(6) Submits to a criminal history records check in accordance with § 6–303 13
of this subtitle. 14
[(c) On or before September 30, 2024, to qualify to be registered, an applicant shall 15
be an individual who: 16
(1) Is of good moral character; 17
(2) Is at least 18 years old; 18
(3) Has graduated from a program for the study of massage therapy with 19
a curriculum: 20
(i) Approved by the Board; 21
(ii) Endorsed by: 22
1. The Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation; or 23
2. An equivalent entity that is an accrediting agency or 24
organization that accredits b oth institutions of higher education and programs offering 25
instruction in massage therapy; 26
(iii) Accredited by an institutional accreditation agency recognized by 27
the United States Department of Education; and 28
4 HOUSE BILL 42
(iv) That requires at least 600 contact hours of classroom instruction 1
that includes the following areas of content: 2
1. Anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology; 3
2. Massage therapy theory; 4
3. Contraindications and pathology; 5
4. Professional ethics; 6
5. Health and hygiene; 7
6. Research; 8
7. Supervised hands–on techniques; and 9
8. Clinical assessment and documentation; 10
(4) Has passed an examination approved by the Board; and 11
(5) Submits to a criminal history records check in accordance with § 6–303 12
of this subtitle.] 13
(C) (1) AN APPLICANT WHO HAS GRADUATED FROM AN OU T–OF–STATE 14
PROGRAM FOR THE STUDY OF MASSAGE THERAPY SHALL HAVE GRADUATED FROM A 15
PROGRAM FOR THE STUDY OF MASSAGE THERAPY THAT: 16
(I) HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE STATE’S HIGHER EDUCATION 17
COMMISSION OR SIMILAR ENTITY TH AT REGULATES INSTITU TIONS OF 18
POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION; 19
(II) HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY: 20
1. THE COMMISSION ON MASSAGE THERAPY 21
ACCREDITATION; OR 22
2. AN EQUIVALENT ENTITY THAT IS AN ACCREDITI NG 23
AGENCY OR ORGANIZATI ON THAT ACCREDITS B OTH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 24
EDUCATION AND PROGRAMS OFFERING INSTRUCTION IN MASSAGE THERAPY; 25
(III) IS ACCREDITED BY AN I NSTITUTIONAL ACCREDI TATION 26
AGENCY RECOGNIZED BY: 27
HOUSE BILL 42 5
1. THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; 1
OR 2
2. ANOTHER ENTITY THAT ACCREDITS PROGRAMS 3
OFFERING INSTRUCTION IN MASSAGE THERAPY; AND 4
(IV) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 5
REQUIRES AT LEAST 750 CONTACT HOURS THAT INCLUDES THE AREAS OF CONTENT 6
REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (B)(4) OF THIS SECTION. 7
(2) AN APPLICA NT WHO HAS GRADUATED FROM AN OUT –OF–STATE 8
PROGRAM FOR THE STUD Y OF MASSAGE THERAPY THAT DOES NOT MEET T HE 9
CONTACT HOUR REQUIRE MENT UNDER THIS SUBS ECTION MAY SUPPLEMEN T THE 10
REQUIRED HOURS WITH: 11
(I) CONTACT HOURS FROM A BOARD–APPROVED PROGRAM OF 12
STUDY OF MASSAGE THERAPY, ON A 1–HOUR TO 1–HOUR BASIS; 13
(II) BOARD–APPROVED CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS, ON A 14
1–HOUR TO 1–HOUR BASIS; OR 15
(III) DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE OF HAVING COMPLETED AT LEAST 16
1,000 LICENSED, OUT–OF–STATE HOURS OF HANDS –ON MASSAGE THERAPY 17
EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING 2 YEARS. 18
(d) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Board may waive any 19
requirement of this subtitle for an applicant who is licensed, certified, or registered to 20
practice massage therapy in another state. 21
(2) The Board may grant a waiver under paragraph (1) of this subsection 22
only if the applicant: 23
(i) Pays the application fee set by the Board; and 24
(ii) Provides adequate evidence that the applicant: 25
1. Has completed educational requi rements that the Board 26
determines to be equivalent to the Board–approved educational requirements in this State; 27
2. At the time the applicant became licensed, certified, or 28
registered in the other state, passed in that state or any other state an exam ination that 29
the Board determines to be equivalent to the examination required in this State; and 30
3. Is of good moral character. 31
6 HOUSE BILL 42
(e) On or after October 1, 2024, the Board may not issue an initial registration to 1
practice as a registered massage practitioner. 2
(f) [On or before October 31, 2026, the] THE Board shall convert the registration 3
of an individual registered by the Board as a registered massage practitioner to a license 4
to practice massage therapy if the individual complies with regulat ions adopted by the 5
Board. 6
6–305. 7
(d) (1) Each licensed massage therapist or registered massage practitioner 8
shall notify the Board in writing of any change in the name or address of the licensed 9
massage therapist or registered massage practitioner with in 60 days after the change 10
occurred. 11
(2) [Subject to the hearing provisions of § 6 –309 of this subtitle, if ] IF a 12
licensed massage therapist or registered massage practitioner fails to notify the Board 13
within the time required under this subsection, the Board may impose an administrative 14
penalty of $100. 15
6–306. 16
(a) If a licensed massage therapist or registered massage practitioner fails for any 17
reason to renew a license or registration, the Board shall reinstate the license or 18
registration if the former licensed massage therapist or former registered massage 19
practitioner: 20
(1) Applies to the Board for reinstate ment of the license or registration 21
within 5 years after the license or registration expires; 22
(2) Meets the renewal requirements of § 6–305 of this subtitle; 23
(3) Submits to the Board satisfactory evidence of having completed a State 24
and national criminal history records check in accordance with § 6–303 of this subtitle; and 25
(4) Pays to the Board the reinstatement fee set by the Board. 26
(b) (1) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OR (3) OF THIS 27
SUBSECTION, THE Board may not reinstate the lice nse of a former licensed massage 28
therapist or registration of a former registered massage practitioner who fails to apply for 29
reinstatement of the license or registration within 5 years after the license or registration 30
expires. 31
(2) [If the Board does n ot reinstate a license or registration under 32
paragraph (1) of this subsection, a ] A former licensed massage therapist [or former 33
registered massage practitioner] may apply for a new license [or registration] by meeting 34
HOUSE BILL 42 7
the licensing [or registration] requirements in effect at the time of application for obtaining 1
a new license [or registration] under this title and any additional requirements determined 2
by the Board. 3
(3) A FORMER REGISTERED MASSAGE PRACTITIONER WHO FAILS TO 4
APPLY FOR REINSTATEM ENT OF THE REGISTRAT ION WITHIN 5 YEARS AFTER THE 5
REGISTRATION EXPIRES MAY BE REINSTATED ON LY BY MEETING THE LI CENSING 6
REQUIREMENTS IN EFFECT FOR OBTAINING A NEW LICENSE UNDER THIS TITLE AND 7
ANY ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS DETERMINED BY THE BOARD. 8
6–306.2. 9
(a) The Board shall place a licensed massage therapist or registered massage 10
practitioner on inactive status if the licensee or registration holder submits to the Board: 11
(1) An application for inactive status on the form required by the Board; 12
and 13
(2) The inactive status fee set by the Board. 14
(b) A licensed massage therapist or a registered massage practitioner on inactive 15
status may reactivate the license or registration if the licensee or registration holder: 16
(1) Complies with the continuing education and CPR requirements that 17
are: 18
(i) Established in regulations adopted by the Board; and 19
(ii) In effect for the current license or registration renewal period in 20
which the licensee or registration holder seeks to reactivate the license or registration; 21
[and] 22
(2) SUBMITS TO THE BOARD SATISFACTORY EV IDENCE OF HAVING 23
COMPLETED A STATE AND NATIONAL CR IMINAL HISTORY RECOR DS CHECK IN 24
ACCORDANCE WITH § 6–303 OF THIS SUBTITLE; AND 25
[(2)] (3) Pays the reactivation fee set by the Board. 26
(C) A REGISTERED MASSAGE P RACTITIONER ON INACT IVE STATUS WHO 27
FAILS TO REACTIVATE A REGISTRATION WITHIN 5 YEARS OF FIRST BEING PLACED 28
ON INACTIVE STATUS MAY REACTIVATE THE REGISTRATION ONLY BY MEETING THE 29
LICENSING REQUIREMENTS IN EFFECT FOR OBTAINING A NEW LICENSE UNDER THIS 30
TITLE AND ANY ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS DETERMINED BY THE BOARD. 31
8 HOUSE BILL 42
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2026. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.