FEES/LICENSES/PERMITS: Provides for the licensed profession of massage therapy. (8/1/26) (EN NO IMPACT See Note)
Summary
SB 39 continues Louisiana’s provisional licensing framework for massage therapy graduates. Under current law, graduates of state-approved, Louisiana-based massage therapy schools may receive a provisional license for immediate use at a registered massage therapy business. The bill keeps that structure in place and specifies that the provisional license remains valid for a single three-month term and cannot be renewed.
The bill also preserves the requirement that any facility employing a provisionally licensed massage therapist must notify clients of that therapist’s licensure status before services are provided. In addition, a provisionally licensed massage therapist may only work at a facility that employs at least one fully licensed massage therapist under the state’s regular licensure provisions. The main legal change made by SB 39 is removing the existing sunset date of December 31, 2025, thereby making the provisional licensure program permanent rather than temporary.
Impact
SB 39 amends R.S. 37:3556(F) to eliminate the sunset provision that would have ended the provisional licensure authority for massage therapy graduates. As a result, the Louisiana Board responsible for massage therapy licensure must continue offering provisional licenses to eligible graduates, and massage therapy businesses must continue complying with the client-notice requirement and supervision/location restrictions for provisionally licensed practitioners. The bill affects massage therapy schools, new graduates, licensed massage therapy businesses, and consumers receiving massage services.
Sentiment
The available legislative history suggests broad support and little opposition. The Senate passed SB 39 unanimously, 37-0, indicating strong agreement that the provisional licensing pathway should continue. There are no committee transcript excerpts showing debate or controversy, and the bill ultimately became law as Act 452.
Contention
No significant points of contention are reflected in the available record. The only substantive policy choice in the bill is whether to keep the provisional licensure program temporary or make it ongoing by removing the sunset date. The unanimous Senate vote and lack of recorded committee debate suggest that lawmakers generally viewed the measure as a routine continuation of an existing licensing arrangement rather than a controversial expansion of professional regulation.