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CAMBS
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California Alliance of Massage
and Bodywork Schools
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April 2003
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Committee Hearing April 29
AMTA-CA has introduced AB1388, legislation which is intended to establish a state wide California Massage Law. It is universally agreed that the language of the bill is poorly written. Everyone who has read AB1388 has issues they would like to see addressed, changed, deleted, etc. Each massage therapist will have just such an opportunity on April 29. On that date, Assembly Bill 1388 will be presented to the Business and Professions Committee by Assembly member Christine Kehoe (Dem/San Diego). The meeting is open to the public and public comment is accepted.
The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on April 29, 2003, in room 447 in the State Capitol. Several bills will be heard; when it is time to discuss AB 1388, Ms. Kehoe will present the bill and then the floor will be open to the public for comment. Those in favor of the bill will be heard, then those opposed.
Every school should try to send an administrator or owner to represent the views of students and graduates, as well as massage therapists in the local area. Southwest Airlines has inexpensive flights from nearly every large airport in California. From the Sacramento airport take a shuttle to the State Capitol, and go to room 447 by 9:00 a.m.
One of our concerns is that all massage therapists in California should be able to participate in this process since it will affect their ability to earn a living. Although various organizations are heavily involved in either promoting or opposing the bill, massage therapists themselves are not as involved. Massage schools are the best source of information for massage therapists, as schools have lists of graduates and current students and can contact them more easily than national organizations to keep them informed.
What To Do Next
- Plan to attend the Business and Professions Committee meeting on April 29, 2003. A week or so before the meeting, call Christine Kehoe's office (916-319-2076) to confirm that the bill will be heard and the approximate time it will be presented.
- Prepare a short statement to read at the committee meeting, outlining the reasons you either support or oppose the bill, or what changes you feel should be made. Read your statement out loud and time it, so that you don't take more than one or two minutes at the committee meeting. Be sure to identify yourself and the group you represent.
- Send a letter on letterhead to the committee chairman, Lou Correa, State Capitol, Room 6025, Sacramento, CA 95814 before the meeting so that your opinions can go on record and you can speak at the committee meeting.
- Call your local Assembly representative and schedule an appointment with him or her at the local office to discuss the bill in person. Go online at http://www.assembly.ca.gov to find out the name and contact information for your local Assembly representative.
- Check online to follow the progress of the bill at www.leginfo.ca.gov (type in AB 1388).
- 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.
- Fill out the survey included in this newsletter and fax it to Teresa Nead, fax 916-791-0119, so she can prepare a statement representing the views of massage school owners and managers.
Survey of Schools
Please answer the following questions and fax this survey to Teresa Nead at 916-791-0119. The results will be shared with those attending the CAMBS meeting in May and with the members of the Business and Professions Committee on April 29, 2003, so your participation is very important and time is of the essence.
School Name___________________________
Membership:
ABMP_____ AMTA______ Other_________
Please state number of hours in your program(s):
Title of program:_______________________
Number of hours_______________________
Title of program:_______________________
Number of hours_______________________
Title of program:_______________________
Number of hours_______________________
Please circle your preference for California:
1.. No regulation
2.. Registration
3.. Licensing
What is your position on AB 1388?
1. Support
2. Oppose
3. Support if it is modified
Please comment on the following issues that may be included or omitted from the Assembly bill:
1. Grandfathering
Should it be included in the bill? If so, what should the requirements be?
2. Education requirements
What amount of education should be required as a minimum? If there is to be tiered licensing, how many hours of training should be required for each tier?
If a single tier is adopted, how many education hours at a minimum should be required to obtain a license to practice massage and bodywork? ____________
If a two-tier system were to be adopted, where should the education requirement and titles be set for each?
Lower tier title: _____________________
Upper tier title: ____________________
Hours of training: __________________
If a three-tier system were to be adopted, where should the education requirement and titles be set for each?
Lower tier title: ________________________
Hours of training: ______________________
Middle tier title: ________________________
Hours of training: ______________________
Upper tier title: ________________________
Hours of training: ______________________
3. National Certification Exam
Should the NCE be a requirement for state licensing? Why or why not?
4. The proposed massage commission
How many members should be required? Should they all be massage therapists or should there be public members as well? How long should the term be, and how should the members of the commission be selected?
5. Do you think the bill should be approved as is, amended, or withdrawn until it can be rewritten with more participation from therapists and schools?
CAMBS Meeting, May 2003
- Friday, May 2, 9am-4pm
- 9:00 (Members and School Owners only)
Opening Statements
- 10:00 Licensing Forum
Moderator: Teresa Nead, CAMBS
Each member of the panel will have seven minutes to identify him or herself and affiliation, and state his or her position on AB 1388. The floor will then be opened for questions and comments from the audience.
Panel Members:
- Michael Miller, Chief of Staff; Assemblymember Christine Kehoe
- Chris Voltarel, Past President California AMTA
- Judith McKinnon, CEO, McKinnon Institute
- Burt Boss, General Manager, Somatherapy, Inc.
- 12:00-1:30
Lunch at the Zinfandel Grille, $20.00 per person (lunch, tax, and tip). Prepay for lunch when paying for meeting.
- 1:30-4:00 Planning (Members and school owners only)
- Saturday, May 3, 10am-12 noon
- 10:00 CAMBS Business meeting (Members only)
Registration Information
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, plus $20.00 for each person planning to have lunch. Mail the registration 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, plus $20.00 each for those planning to have lunch. 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.
To join CAMBS, send the annual dues of $100.00 to the address above. Add $50.00 for the meeting, regardless of the number of owners/administrators who will attend, and $20.00 each for lunch.
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