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*sb0492*
SENATE BILL 492
J2 6lr2061
CF HB 975
By: Senator Beidle
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 25, 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
Article – Health Occupations 20
2 SENATE BILL 492
6–308. 1
(a) Subject to the hearing provisions of § 6 –309 of this subtitle, the Board may 2
deny a license or registration to an applicant, reprimand a licensee or registration holder, 3
place any licensee or registration holder on probation, or suspend or revoke the license of a 4
licensee or the registration of a registration holder if the applicant, licensee, or registration 5
holder: 6
(11) Has violated any provision of this title; 7
6–401. 8
(a) The Board shall adopt regulations to [establish]: 9
(1) ESTABLISH standards for advertising or soliciting by licensed massage 10
therapists or registered massage practitioners; 11
(2) DEFINE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE AND CONTENT PROHIBITED UNDER 12
THIS SECTION; AND 13
(3) ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING VIOLATIONS OF THIS 14
SECTION BY A LICENSE D MASSAGE THERAPIST , REGISTERED MASSAGE 15
PRACTITIONER, OR MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. 16
(b) For purposes of this section, the mailing of notices to patients to inform them 17
of times for periodic appointments is not advertising or soliciting. 18
(C) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 19
AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR MASSAGE THERAPY SERVICES SHALL INCLUDE THE FULL 20
NAME, AS STATED ON THE LICENSE OR REGISTRATION APPLICATION SUBMITTED TO 21
THE BOARD, AND LICENSE NUMBER OR REGISTRATION NUMBER OF THE LICENSED 22
MASSAGE THERAPIST OR REGISTERED MASSAGE P RACTITIONER PROVIDIN G THE 23
MASSAGE THERAPY SERVICES ADVERTISED. 24
(2) AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR MASSAGE THERAPY SERVICES PLACED, 25
PUBLISHED, OR DISTRIBUTED BY A BUSINESS THAT EMPLOYS OR CONTRACTS WITH 26
MULTIPLE LICENSED MA SSAGE THERAPISTS OR REGISTERED MASSAGE 27
PRACTITIONERS IS NOT REQUIRED TO INCLUDE THE NAMES AND LICENS E OR 28
REGISTRATION NUMBERS OF EACH LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPIST OR REGISTERED 29
MASSAGE PRACTITIONER EMPLOYED OR CONTRACTED WITH IF AN ADVERTISEMENT 30
FOR MASSAGE THERAPY SERVICES LISTS THE N AME OF A LICENSED MA SSAGE 31
THERAPIST OR A REGISTERED MASSAGE PRACTITIONER, THE NAME DISPLAYED ON 32
THE ADVERTISEMENT MU ST BE CONSISTENT WIT H THE NAME OF THE IN DIVIDUAL 33
THAT IS ON THE LICENSE OR REGISTRATION ISSUED BY THE BOARD. 34
SENATE BILL 492 3
[(c)] (D) [A] SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION , A licensed 1
massage therapist or registered massage practitioner may use a trade name in connection 2
with the practice of massage therapy provided that: 3
(1) The use of the trade name is not deceptive or misleading; 4
(2) The advertisement in which the trade name appears includes the name 5
of the licensed massage therapist or registered massage practitioner or the name of the 6
business entity providing the m assage therapy services being advertised, as long as the 7
advertisement includes the name of a licensed massage therapist or registered massage 8
practitioner; 9
(3) The name of the licensed massage therapist or registered massage 10
practitioner providing massage therapy services appears on the billing invoices, stationery, 11
and any receipt given to a patient; and 12
(4) Treatment records are maintained that clearly identify the licensed 13
massage therapist or registered massage practitioner who has performed the massage 14
therapy service for the patient. 15
(E) (1) A LICENSED MASSAGE THE RAPIST, REGISTERED MASSAGE 16
PRACTITIONER, OR A THIRD PARTY ACT ING ON BEHALF OF A L ICENSED MASSAGE 17
THERAPIST OR REGISTERED MASSAGE PRACTITIONER MAY NOT PLACE, PUBLISH, OR 18
DISTRIBUTE, OR CAUSE TO BE PLACED , PUBLISHED, OR DISTRIBUTED , AN 19
ADVERTISEMENT FOR MASSAGE THERAPY SERVICES: 20
(I) THAT STATES PROSTITUTION SERVICES, ESCORT SERVICES, 21
OR SEXUAL SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE; 22
(II) ON A WEBSITE KNOWN FO R ADVERTISING PROSTI TUTION 23
SERVICES, ESCORT SERVICES, OR SEXUAL SERVICES; OR 24
(III) THAT INDICATES OR IMP LIES, THROUGH LANGUAGE OR 25
OTHER CONTENT , THAT SEXUAL ACTIVITY IS PART OF THE MASSA GE THERAPY 26
SERVICE. 27
(2) FOR AN ONLINE ADVERTI SEMENT, EACH DAY ON WHICH AN 28
ADVERTISEMENT THAT VIOLATES PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION IS VISIBLE 29
TO THE PUBLIC CONSTITUTES A SEPARATE VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION. 30
(3) FAILURE TO REMOVE A PHYSICAL SIGN OR BILLBOARD PLACED IN 31
PUBLIC VIEW THAT VIOLATES PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION CONSTITUTES A 32
VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION. 33
4 SENATE BILL 492
(F) ALL ADVERTISEMENTS FO R LICENSED MASSAGE T HERAPISTS OR 1
REGISTERED MASSAGE P RACTITIONERS SHALL I NCLUDE THE FULL NAME AS 2
LICENSED AND LICENSE NUMBER OF THE LICENS ED MASSAGE THERAPIST OR 3
REGISTERED MASSAGE P RACTITIONER PROVIDIN G THE ADV ERTISED MASSAGE 4
THERAPY SERVICES. 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That if, on the effective date of this 6
Act, a physical sign or billboard that is in violation of § 6 –401(e)(1) of the Health 7
Occupations Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, remains visible to the public, the 8
licensed massage therapist, registered massage practitioner, or third party acting on behalf 9
of a licensed massage therapist or registered massage practitioner that placed or caused 10
the physical sign or billboard to be p laced shall remove the physical sign or billboard or 11
cause the physical sign or billboard to be removed before May 1, 2027. 12
SECTION 2. 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
October 1, 2026. 14
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.