Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0975*
HOUSE BILL 975
J2 6lr1693
CF SB 492
By: Delegate Guzzone Delegates Guzzone, Alston, Bagnall , Cullison, Hill,
S. Johnson, Kaufman, Lopez, Martinez, Rosenberg, Ross, Taveras,
White Holland, and Woorman
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Health
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 1, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Health Occupations – Massage Therapy – Advertising 2
FOR the purpose of prohibiting licensed massage therapists, registered massage 3
practitioners, and third parties directed by licensed massage therapists or registered 4
massage practitioners from placing, publishing, or distributing certain 5
advertisements; requiring certain advertisements for massage therapy to include 6
certain information; and generally relating to massage therapy advertising. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 8
Article – Health Occupations 9
Section 6–308(a)(11) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Health Occupations 14
Section 6–401 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
2 HOUSE BILL 975
Article – Health Occupations 1
6–308. 2
(a) Subject to the hearing provisions of § 6 –309 of this subtitle, the Board may 3
deny a license or registration to an applicant, reprimand a licensee or registration holder, 4
place any licensee or registration holder on probation, or suspend or revoke the license of a 5
licensee or the registration of a registration holder if the applicant, licensee, or registration 6
holder: 7
(11) Has violated any provision of this title; 8
6–401. 9
(a) The Board shall adopt regulations to [establish]: 10
(1) ESTABLISH standards for advertising or soliciting by licensed massage 11
therapists or registered massage practitioners; 12
(2) DEFINE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE AND CONTENT PROHIBITED UNDER 13
THIS SECTION; AND 14
(3) ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING VIOLAT IONS OF THIS 15
SECTION BY A LICENS ED MASSAGE THERAPIST , REGISTERED MASSAGE 16
PRACTITIONER, OR MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. 17
(b) For purposes of this section, the mailing of notices to patients to inform them 18
of times for periodic appointments is not advertising or soliciting. 19
(C) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAP H (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 20
AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR MASSAGE THERAPY SERVICES SHALL INCLUDE THE FULL 21
NAME, AS STATED ON THE LICENSE OR REGISTRATION APPLICATION SUBMITTED TO 22
THE BOARD, AND LICENSE NUMBER OR REGISTRATION NUMBER OF THE LICENSED 23
MASSAGE THERAPIST OR REGISTERED MASSAGE P RACTITIONER PROVIDIN G THE 24
MASSAGE THERAPY SERVICES ADVERTISED. 25
(2) AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR MASSAGE THERAPY SERVICES PLACED, 26
PUBLISHED, OR DISTRIBUTED BY A BUSINESS THAT EMPLOYS OR CONTRACTS WITH 27
MULTIPLE LICENSED MA SSAGE THERAPISTS OR REGISTERED MASSAGE 28
PRACTITIONERS IS NOT REQUIRED TO INCLUDE THE NAMES AND LICENS E OR 29
REGISTRATION NUMBERS OF EACH LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPIST OR REGISTERED 30
MASSAGE PRACTITIONER EMPLOYED OR CONTRACTED WITH IF AN ADVERTISEMENT 31
FOR MASSAGE THERAPY SERVICES LIS TS THE NAME OF A LIC ENSED MASSAGE 32
THERAPIST OR A REGISTERED MASSAGE PRACTITIONER, THE NAME DISPLAYED ON 33
HOUSE BILL 975 3
THE ADVERTISEMENT MU ST BE CONSISTENT WIT H THE NAME OF THE IN DIVIDUAL 1
THAT IS ON THE LICENSE OR REGISTRATION ISSUED BY THE BOARD. 2
[(c)] (D) [A] SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION , A licensed 3
massage therapist or registered massage practitioner may use a trade name in connection 4
with the practice of massage therapy provided that: 5
(1) The use of the trade name is not deceptive or misleading; 6
(2) The advertisement in which the trade name appears includes the name 7
of the licensed massage therapist or registered massage practitioner or the name of the 8
business entity providing the massage therapy services being advertised, as l ong as the 9
advertisement includes the name of a licensed massage therapist or registered massage 10
practitioner; 11
(3) The name of the licensed massage therapist or registered massage 12
practitioner providing massage therapy services appears on the billing invoices, stationery, 13
and any receipt given to a patient; and 14
(4) Treatment records are maintained that clearly identify the licensed 15
massage therapist or registered massage practitioner who has performed the massage 16
therapy service for the patient. 17
(E) (1) A LICENSED MASSAGE THE RAPIST, REGISTERED MASSAGE 18
PRACTITIONER, OR A THIRD PARTY ACT ING ON BEHALF OF A L ICENSED MASSAGE 19
THERAPIST OR REGISTERED MASSAGE PRACTITIONER MAY NOT PLACE, PUBLISH, OR 20
DISTRIBUTE, OR CAUSE TO BE PLACE D, PUBLISHED, OR DISTRIBUTED , AN 21
ADVERTISEMENT FOR MASSAGE THERAPY SERVICES: 22
(I) THAT STATES PROSTITUTION SERVICES, ESCORT SERVICES, 23
OR SEXUAL SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE; 24
(II) ON A WEBSITE KNOWN FO R ADVERTISING PROSTI TUTION 25
SERVICES, ESCORT SERVICES, OR SEXUAL SERVICES; OR 26
(III) THAT INDICATES OR IMP LIES, THROUGH LANGUAGE OR 27
OTHER CONTENT , THAT SEXUAL ACTIVITY IS PART OF THE MASSA GE THERAPY 28
SERVICE. 29
(2) FOR AN ONLINE ADVERTI SEMENT, EACH DAY ON WHICH AN 30
ADVERTISEMENT THAT VIOLATES PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION IS VISIBLE 31
TO THE PUBLIC CONSTITUTES A SEPARATE VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION. 32
4 HOUSE BILL 975
(3) FAILURE TO REMOVE A PHYSICAL SIGN OR BILLBOARD PLACED IN 1
PUBLIC VIEW THAT VIOLATES PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION CONSTITUTES A 2
VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION. 3
(F) ALL ADVERTISEMENTS FO R LICENSED MASSAGE THE RAPISTS OR 4
REGISTERED MASSAGE P RACTITIONERS SHALL I NCLUDE THE FULL NAME AS 5
LICENSED AND LICENSE NUMBER OF THE LICENS ED MASSAGE THERAPIST OR 6
REGISTERED MASSAGE P RACTITIONER PROVIDIN G THE ADVERTISED MAS SAGE 7
THERAPY SERVICES. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That if, on the effective date of this 9
Act, a physical sign or billboard that is in violation of § 6 –401(e)(1) of the Health 10
Occupations Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, remains visible to the public, the 11
licensed massage therapist, registered massage practitioner, or third party acting on behalf 12
of a licensed massage therapist or registered massage practitioner that placed or caused 13
the physical sign or billboard to be placed shall remove the physical sign or billbo ard or 14
cause the physical sign or billboard to be removed before May 1, 2027. 15
SECTION 2. 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 16
October 1, 2026. 17
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.