AB 1388 Last Minute Changes

Michael Miller, in Assembly member Christine Kehoe's office in Sacramento, has confirmed that AB 1388 has been pulled from the agenda for the Business and Professions committee meeting Tuesday, April 29, 2003. No action will be taken in the legislature on the bill until January, 2004.

In addition, the bill has been amended and is now a licensure act, rather than a title act; changes have been made to the structure of the proposed massage commission, requirements for licensure, and exemptions. Also, a grandfather clause and a requirement for fingerprints and background investigation have been added. The bill still contains language that would give the massage commission authority over massage school curriculum.

The amended bill can be seen in its entirety on the Assembly website at Leginfo.ca.gov (type AB 1388 in the search box.)

What To Do Next

Don't relax yet! The movement for licensing isn't going to go away and delaying action would be dangerous. If licensing is inevitable, and it may be so, then it is important for all of us to participate in the process of developing licensing requirements that reflect the entire massage community in California.
• Don't go to Sacramento on Tuesday for the Business and Professions committee meeting as AB 1388 has been removed from the schedule.
• Fill out and fax to Teresa Nead at 916-791-0119 the survey from the last newsletter before the CAMBS meeting. If needed, call 760-323-5806 to have another survey faxed to you.
• Attend the CAMBS meeting in Rocklin next week (May 2/3, 2003) to hear more about the bill from Michael Miller, Judith McKinnon, and Burt Boss on Friday and to attend a planning session on Saturday.
• After the CAMBS meeting, organize local discussions with massage therapists, massage instructors, employers and other interested persons to discuss whether licensure is needed and what should be included in licensing requirements. Discuss the bill in your classes and involve students in the process.
• As soon as possible (by the end of May, 2003), send the ideas developed in these discussions to Christine Kehoe's office, as well as to the chairman of the Business and Professions committee in the State Assembly. See the last newsletter for addresses.
• Don't lose the momentum - keep sending letters and encourage students, therapists, and clients to write letters to their Assembly representatives.
• Create public interest by sending copies of the students' and therapists' letters to local newspapers and television news programs. Be sure to include information about how this bill would affect local therapists, employers, and clients.

CAMBS Meeting May 2/3, 2003

The May 2 and 3, 2003 CAMBS meeting will be held at the Rocklin Park Hotel, 5450 China Garden Rd., Rocklin, CA 95677 (916) 630-9400. The nearest airport is Sacramento and Rocklin is about a 30 minute drive east of Sacramento on Highway 80 (toward Reno.) The meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. on Friday and 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.

The registration fee for the meeting is $50.00 per school for members, and $50.00 per person for non-member schools. The meeting is open only to massage school owners and managers. It is too late to register by mail, so any school that has not yet registered for the meeting should call Birgit Ball-Eisner at (831) 624-1006 to register their names, and then plan to pay the registration fee at the door. Call Ramona Moody French at 760-323-5806 for a copy of the survey or of the amended bill.

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