Meeting to Review AB 1807

Immediate Action Urged for All Massage Schools

AB 1807, also known as the Education Reform Act of 2004, was introduced in January, 2004 in order to revamp the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE). While on the whole it is a good bill, it has at least one provision that could negatively affect massage schools.

On March 3, 2004, a meeting was held at the Capitol to review the purpose and key provisions of Assembly Bill 1807. Bruce Hamlett, Chief Consultant for the Assembly of Higher Education Committee, presided over the meeting.

The California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) is the sponsor of the bill and Richard Johnson, Executive Director of CAPPS, was present. They both said they welcome comments and suggestions from those attending.

CAMBS was represented by Teresa Nead, Judith McKinnon and James Mally, who are owners of small massage schools. Teresa Nead presented the attendees of the meeting with a list of CAMBS's concerns.

CAMBS main concern is that AB 1807 deletes the exemption for massage and similar schools from Maxine Waters, which requires specific completion and placement requirements for vocational schools.

Richard Johnson said CAPPS feels that eliminating the exemption creates a level playing ground for all schools. However, the reason for the original exemption is that massage and fine arts schools are different from other kinds of schools, and our graduates don't always take the training to find employment, or they are very transient and difficult to track. Bruce Hamlett agreed that CAMBS made a compelling case for continued exemption from the Maxine Waters Act while Richard Johnson (CAPPS) expressed a desire to create a one size fits all template for all schools.

AB 1807 defines Registered Institutions as "any school with 250 hours or less and $2500 or less in tuition." CAMBS expressed concern because many massage schools have short term programs, and if they are registered rather than approved, there is insufficient oversight to protect student's rights. Those present from the BPPVE seemed to share this concern.

Other concerns of massage schools which could be addressed by AB 1807 include the following:
• "Certificate of Authorization to Teach" being used by instructors to illegally offer classes outside of the school.
• Organizations from other states that offer vocational classes or seminars in California should be required to comply with California law and should be penalized if they don't.
• AB 1807 also creates a new fund, the Student Protection Fund, to pay for "teach-outs" when schools close. All schools would be required to pay into the fund, and the fee would be 0.0005 times the annual gross income. Could these funds be raised instead by fining illegal activities as described above?
• Applications for reapproval should be acted on in a timely manner. Currently some schools have been waiting for over a year for their reapprovals.

To read the entire bill, with key provisions highlighted, click here.

Judith McKinnon:

On the third of March I attended a meeting in Sacramento, along with Teresa Nead and James Mally, to give input on AB1807...What I am most vehement about communicating is the immense good work that CAMBS is accomplishing for non-accredited massage schools in California and other small vocational schools in the state. AB 1807 legislation was written by CAPPS on behalf of their members which consist primarily of large accredited schools. Our needs and interests as small schools were not considered in this legislation. The most blatant aspect being their view that all schools be held to the same standard, even though the bill itself recognizes that schools are different. This bill eliminates our exemption for job placement under the Maxine Waters Act.

I URGE every CAMBS member to immediately contact schools that are not members of CAMBS and get them to join; we need a higher volume of schools to support the work the CAMBS is accomplishing. CAMBS was the first to notify schools about AB 1388 and its officers and members volunteered a great deal of their own time and effort working hard so that AB 1388 would not have a negative effect on schools and their graduates and students. Now CAMBS is the only organization representing the interests of small schools in this effort with AB 1807. I wish to applaud Ramona and Teresa for their foresight in developing our association.

James Mally:

It is important we have the strength in numbers and resources to monitor and give input on changes to the education code, so that our needs can be heard. CAPPS seems interested in representing only the larger schools, so we need a voice for the small schools.

I am the owner and director of Healing Arts Institute, an approved vocational school in Roseville, CA and a member of CAMBS. I have concerns about AB-1807 because it removes a long-standing exemption from job placement requirements for massage therapy schools. This exemption is important to massage schools because many students enter our programs for non-vocational reasons, or to do massage part time. Many students want to do massage part time to supplement family income or to help themselves through college. This exemption was in section 94790(f), and was part of a clean up bill in the early 1990's to correct shortcomings in the education reform act.

Under AB-1807 we would be subject to provisions of Article 7 and would have sanctions applied if less then 70% of all our graduates are working full time. In effect we would be punished for the choices of our graduates. In order to stay in compliance with the legislation we would need to limit our enrollment to only those students who were serious about working full time. We would not be able to afford to enroll students who want to learn massage for non-vocational reasons, or to work part time.

The overall goals of AB-1807 are good. We just need to be careful to insure that the regulations are appropriate to the various types of schools that are affected by this bill and that it reflects the needs of more than 100 massage schools in California and reinstate the exemptions in section 94790(f).

Act Now!

• Every massage school in California should email Bruce Hamlett NOW and tell him you want AB 1807 to be changed so that SEC. 43 Section 94790 (f) (exemption for massage and fine arts schools) is not deleted. Remember there is power in numbers - our success with AB 1388 shows that.
• Send a similar message to Carol Liu, who is the author of the bill and the chair of the committee.
• Join CAMBS now and urge other school owners to join CAMBS, which is the only organization representing small and mid-sized private postsecondary schools in California.

The April 30, 2004 CAMBS meeting will be hosted by the Body Institute. The address is 8331 Sierra College Boulevard, # 210, in Granite Bay, California.

The nearest airport is Sacramento and Granite Bay is about a 30 minute drive east of Sacramento on Highway 80 (toward Reno.)

Nearby hotels include the following hotels located in Rocklin:

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

How to Register for the Meeting

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.

Survey of Schools

Please help us represent you accurately. We need the answers to the following questions:
1. Please describe your program(s). What is the title of each program, how many hours in length?
2. How many hours of training do your local laws require?
3. What percentage of your students begin working after taking your entry level program?
4. What percentage of your students continue with additional education after completing your entry level program?
5. Do you offer seminars as well as courses? Are your seminars part of a registered program?

AB 1388 was introduced last year in an attempt to create state licensing for massage in California. After a great deal of revision and much opposition the bill is currently inactive but may be reactivated again next year.
1. Do you support or oppose state licensing for massage in California? Briefly, why do you feel that way?
2. Are you familiar with the latest version of AB 1388? If the bill is revived with substantially the same requirements, would you support it or oppose it? Why?
3. Are there any additional changes you feel should be made to AB 1388?
4. What changes would your school have to make to comply with AB 1388 if it becomes law?

Please send your answers to Teresa Nead or send a fax to 916-791-0119.

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