AB 1388 Goes to Committee

Despite assurances to the contrary by a representative of the American Massage Therapy Association, AB 1388 was sent to the Business and Professions Committee of the State Assembly today. The B&P Committee must report on the bill to the State Assembly by May 9 and the Assembly must vote on the bill by June 6, 2003.

In a personal communication to the editor of CAMBS on March 13, 2003, Beverly May, Director of Governmental Relations for the California Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association, said "There is not a chance that the bill will be heard in committee March 25th - we don't have a bill. It's unlikely to be heard this session, as we aren't even beginning to work on it until sometime in April."

Ms. May is evidently taking the peculiar position that AB 1388 isn't a real bill; and she has formed a committee to write another bill for regulating massage therapists in California. However, in the meantime the bill submitted to the State Assembly by Christine Kehoe is working its way through the legislature and could easily become law.

The response of massage school owners, managers, teachers, students and graduates to our previous newsletter was overwhelming - Christine Kehoe's office was inundated with letters, faxes, emails and phone calls. In fact, the response was so great that Kehoe's office couldn't handle the volume.

Now it is time to do it again. Since the bill is now in committee, we have a chance to impact on its development by communicating with the members of the committee. Write letters to each committee member and encourage your staff, students, graduates, and clients to do the same. Make sure your voice is heard - otherwise a very flawed bill may become law.

What To Do Next

· Write to EVERY member of the Business and Professions Committee about your opinion of AB 1388. Their addresses are listed on the next page.
• Send copies of each letter to Christine Kehoe's office so she can keep track of responses from the profession.
• Check online to follow the progress of the bill at www.leginfo.ca.gov (type in AB 1388).
• Create sample letters for licensed therapists, students, and clients and have them available in your lobby. Encourage every staff member, student, graduate, and client to sign one, and mail it for them. Make it your goal to mail at least 100 letters to the Committee in the next week.
• Send copies of your letters to your local newspapers, and television news stations.
• Make arrangements to attend the May 2/3, 2003 CAMBS meeting in Rocklin.
• Send a short list of your concerns to Teresa Nead, fax 916-791-0119, so she can prepare the agenda of items to discuss at the meeting.

CAMBS Meeting May 2/3, 2003

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:

• Howard Johnson 916-624-4500
• Comfort suites 916-315-1300
• Ramada Limited 916-632-3366

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.

Business and Professions Committee

1. Lou Correa
   State Capitol,
   Room 6025,
   Sacramento, CA 95814
   (916) 319-2069
2. Shirley Horton State Capitol, Room 5126
   Sacramento, CA 95814
   Phone: (916) 319-2078
   Fax: (916) 319-2178
3. Greg Aghazarian State Capitol, Room 2130
   Sacramento, CA 95814
   Phone: (916) 319-2026
   Fax: 209-473-6977
4. Rudy Bermudez State Capitol
   Room 5135
   Sacramento, CA 95814
   Phone: (916) 319-2056
   Fax: (916) 319-2156
5. Ellen Corbett State Capitol
   Sacramento, CA 94249-0001
   (916) 319-2018
   fax (916) 319-2118
6. Paul Koretz State Capitol
   Room 2176
   Sacramento, CA 95814-0042
   Phone: (916) 319-2042
   Fax: (916) 319-2142
7. Mark Leno State Capitol
   Room 3146
   Sacramento, CA 95814
   Phone: (916) 319-2013
   Fax: (916) 319-2113
8. Abel Maldonado State Capitol
   Room 4015
   Sacramento, CA 95814
   Phone: (916) 319-2033
   Fax: (916) 319-2133
9. Bill Maze Capitol Office
   State Capitol, Room 2002
   Sacramento, CA 95814
   Phone: (916) 319-2034
   Fax: (916) 319-2134
10. Joe Nation State Capitol
    Room 3013
    Sacramento, CA 95814
    Phone: (916) 319-2006
    Fax: (916) 319-2106
11. Juan Vargas State Capitol
    Room 2013
    Sacramento, CA 94249-0001
    Phone: (916) 319-2079
    Fax: (916) 319-2179
12. Mark Wyland State Capitol
    Room 4130
    Sacramento, CA 95814
    Phone: (916) 319-2074
    Fax: (916) 319-2174
13. Leland Yee, Ph.D. Capitol Office
    State Capitol
    Room 2188
    Sacramento, CA 95814
    Phone: (916) 319-2012
    Fax: (916) 319-2112

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:

• $50.00 per school for members
• $50.00 per person for non-member schools

Send dues and meeting registration to the Treasurer, Birgit Ball Eisner at:

Monterey Institute of Touch
27820 Dorris Drive
Carmel, CA 93923