|
CAMBS |
|
|
California Alliance of Massage and Bodywork Schools |
February 2003 |
CAMBS has learned that a lobbyist is working with the office of Christine Kehoe, an assemblywoman from San Diego, to create a proposal for licensing massage therapists in California. Michael Miller, Ms. Kehoe's chief of staff, said in a phone conversation that the proposal must be submitted to the legislature by February 21, 2003 to be considered this year. Mr. Miller said that the final language of the proposed legislation hadn't been determined yet. He also said that once the proposal had been submitted on February 21, it would begin a process of public hearings and committee meetings and that during that process the specific provisions of the bill would likely be amended.
For clarification, a call was made to Christine Kehoe's office about the Assembly schedule. According to her spokesperson, if the bill is submitted by February 21, it will go through several committee meetings and will be voted on by the Assembly by June 6, 2003. Then the bill will be sent to the Senate where it could be further amended and returned to the Assembly.
At this point the important thing for every school owner and manager is to call Christine Kehoe's office and ask to be put on a list of people to be contacted about the hearings. Emphasize that you want to be a part of the process and definitely want to know what the specific provisions of the proposed bill are, when it is finalized.
One of the concerns of CAMBS is that this process is being driven by a professional association, not by the therapists in California. One of the ways that school owners and managers can help is by making the information available to their graduates and current students so that all the therapists in California can have an opportunity to participate in the legislative process.
Any legislation that creates licensure for massage therapists in California will have a definite impact on massage schools as wells as massage therapists. At the present it is difficult to predict the effect of state licensure on massage schools. Schools may have to change their courses to accommodate the hour requirements of a state law. Also, a state license creates an additional level of fees and bureaucracy for massage therapists, as it is unlikely that cities will give up their control of massage, and the revenue it brings.
To give your contact information to Christine Kehoe's staff, call Laura Heim in the San Diego office at 619-294-7600 or Adrienne Alvord in the Sacramento office at 916-319-2076.
After February 21, 2003, the proposed bill will be available on line. Go to http://www.assembly.ca.gov and click on "Legislation" in the left hand column. Then enter the keyword "Massage" in the space labeled Author/Text, and click "search." You will be linked to any bill that contains the word massage.
To send letters about your concerns to your local assembly representative, click on "Find My District" in the left hand column. Enter your zip code to find your representative. Also, once you have read the proposed legislation, you can send a letter directly to Christine Kehoe at her San Diego office, 1010 University Ave., Suite C207, San Diego, CA 92103.
Be sure to attend the May CAMBS meeting in Granite Bay, where the specifics of the proposed bill will be discussed and a plan developed.
The main item on the agenda will be state licensing for massage therapists. A representative from Christine Kehoe's Sacramento office has been invited to speak on the proposed bill, but this has not yet been confirmed. Members present at the meeting will be able to share their concerns and create a plan of action The meeting will begin on both days at 10:00 a.m. and will end at about 5 p.m. on Friday, about 1 p.m. on Saturday.
There will also be a discussion of the basic minimum massage curriculum that CAMBS members have been developing in the last two years and the survey in which many schools participated last year.
The May 2 and 3, 2003 CAMBS meeting will be hosted by the Body Institute in Granite Bay, California. The meeting will be held at the Rocklin Park Hotel, 5450 China Garden Rd., Rocklin, CA 95677 (916) 630-9400. Rooms were quoted at $110.00 per night.
The nearest airport is Sacramento and Rocklin is about a 30 minute drive east of Sacramento on Highway 80 (toward Reno.)
Other nearby hotels include the following:
CAMBS Members: To register send a check in the amount of $50.00 per school, regardless of the number of owners/administrators who will attend, to:
CAMBS, attn: Birgit Ball-Eisner
27820 Dorris Drive, Carmel CA 93923.
Include a list of those who will attend, and their job titles. The meeting is open only to school owners and administrators.
Non-Members: The fee for the meeting is $50.00 per person attending. Send payment to the address above. Include a list of those who will attend, and their job titles. The meeting is open only to school owners and administrators.
CAMBS Board of Directors
Director: Teresa Reynolds Nead — The Body Institute
(916) 791-1951, teresa@bodyinstitute.com
Treasurer: Birgit Ball-Eisner — Monterey Institute of Touch
(831) 624-1006, mit@redshift.com
Secretary: Ramona Moody French — Somatherapy, Inc.
(760) 323-5806, ramona@somatherapy.com
Send letters to the editor to Ramona Moody French at the email address above. Send other correspondence to Teresa Nead at the email address above.
Annual dues: $100.00
Meeting fees:
Send dues and meeting registration to the Treasurer, Birgit Ball Eisner at:
Monterey Institute of Touch
27820 Dorris Drive
Carmel, CA 93923