LB16 is the third iteration of the same bill we have been fighting for 3 years now. And this is the same call to action we had earlier this year. There is a big push during the fall session to get this bill through and we need your help to have Massage Therapy removed from the bill. (More info on the bill below.)
YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
Right now we are asking you just to make a few quick phone calls after 5:00pm and leave a voicemail for the senators listed below. We even have an easy script for you to follow. We would like them to get into the office Thursday, Friday, and Monday to voicemail boxes FULL of messages from LMTs across the state.
***PHONE SCRIPT****
Hello Sen. ________
My name is ____________, I am a massage therapist in __(your town_) and I am calling in opposition to LB16 requiring occupational boards to issue certain credentials. This bill creates dangerous loopholes in licensing of massage therapists in Nebraska. Massage therapy, unlike many other healthcare professions, has a wide variation in education, ranging from 0 hours to Nebraska’s 1000 hours. This creates a wide discrepancy in competence and professionalism from state to state.
Nebraska has judicious reciprocity in place for massage therapy already - including temporary one year licensure for military spouses. Please do not put the public or profession at risk by dismantling the system put in place to keep us safe. Please exempt massage therapy from LB16.
Thank you for your time and consideration
Your Name
Your Town
Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee | | |
Sen. Tom Brewer | District 43 | (402) 471-2628 |
Sen. Raymond Aguilar | District 35 | (402) 471-2627 |
Sen. Danielle Conrad | District 46 | (402) 471-2720 |
Sen. Steve Halloran | District 33 | (402) 471-2712 |
Sen. Megan Hunt | District 8 | (402) 471-2722 |
Sen. John Lowe | District 37 | (402) 471-2726 |
Sen. Jane Raybould | District 28 | (402) 471-2633 |
Sen. Rita Sanders | District 45 | (402) 471-2615 |
Others who have signed on: | | |
Sen Dave Murman | District 38 | (402) 471-2732 |
Sen Mike McDonnell | District 5 | 402-471-2710 |
Call your senator | https://nebraskalegislature.gov/senators/senator_find.php | |
More About the Bill
This bill would allow anyone licensed, credentialed, apprenticed, or worked long enough without licensure (in another state without licensure requirements) as a massage therapist to practice in Nebraska .You can read it here.
As you know, massage therapy is very different from state to state - 0-1000 hours of education needed, some areas require passage of a national board exam while others allow the purchase of a business license to practice.
Nebraska Massage Therapy is a 1000 hour entry level licensure, and ALL Nebraska Licensed Massage Therapists are healthcare professionals. This is not the case in many states.
Educational hours range from 0 -1000 hours of entry level education throughout the country
Four states have absolutely no requirements to become a massage therapist - including Kansas and Wyoming.
Some states like Minnesota and California do not have requirements but some of their cities and counties do. Sometimes the requirement is simply a business license; other times minimal education is needed. The profession varies widely throughout these states.
Other states like Maryland, have multiple levels of massage licensure - the lower entry level requirements do not allow massage practitioners to work in healthcare settings.
Nebraska has already accounted for this discrepancy by having a judicious reciprocity process that was updated in 2021 to further ease the process. Reciprocity information is found in
Uniform Credentialing Act https://dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Documents/UniformCredentialingAct.pdf
Nebraska State Statute 38-129.02, Nebraska Massage Therapy Statute 38-1712 https://dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Documents/Massage%20Therapy.pdf
DHHS Massage Therapy Regulations 172 NAC 81 https://www.nebraska.gov/rules-and-regs/regsearch/Rules/Health_and_Human_Services_System/Title-172/Chapter-081.pdf
AND state statute 38-129.01 was enacted in 2021 so DHHS can “issue a temporary credential to a military spouse” for all but dentists in the Uniform Credentialing Act which is valid for up to a year. This gives the spouse time to gather reciprocity information for full licensure in Nebraska while being able to work. https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=38-129.01
LB16 designs dangerous loopholes in licensing of Nebraska massage therapists, creating discrepancy in competence and professionalism. It also dismantles Nebraska’s systems of protection against bad actors trying to use our profession as a front.
LB16 Page 10:
LB16 page 9
