Health Occupations - Massage Therapy - Advertising
Summary
SB0492 revises Maryland’s massage therapy advertising rules. The bill requires advertisements for massage therapy services to include the full name, as it appears on the license or registration application, and the license or registration number of the licensed massage therapist or registered massage practitioner providing the service. It also allows a business that employs or contracts with multiple massage therapists or practitioners to advertise without listing every individual, so long as any named individual is identified consistently with the name on the person’s board-issued license or registration.
The bill further directs the State Board of Massage Therapy Examiners to adopt regulations establishing advertising standards, defining prohibited language and content, and creating procedures for reporting violations. It preserves the ability to use a trade name if it is not deceptive or misleading and if the advertisement, billing materials, and treatment records still identify the actual provider. The measure also creates specific prohibitions on ads that mention prostitution, escort, or sexual services, that appear on websites known for such services, or that imply sexual activity is part of massage therapy. Online violations count separately for each day visible, and physical signs or billboards that remain in public view after the effective date must be removed by May 1, 2027.
Impact
This Act amends the Health Occupations Article, specifically § 6-401, to impose new content and identification requirements on massage therapy advertising and to authorize the Board to regulate and enforce those standards. It also clarifies that violating these provisions can support disciplinary action under the Board’s existing authority to sanction licensees and registration holders for violations of the title. The law affects licensed massage therapists, registered massage practitioners, businesses that advertise massage services, and third parties acting on their behalf.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the Senate 45-0 and the House 128-0, and there is no committee transcript indicating significant opposition or debate. The unanimous votes suggest general agreement with the bill’s consumer-protection and anti-exploitation goals, as well as its effort to improve transparency in massage therapy advertising.
Contention
No major points of contention are reflected in the available record. The main policy choices in the bill are the added disclosure requirements, the prohibition on sexualized or prostitution-related advertising, and the treatment of online and physical advertisements as separate enforcement contexts. Any potential concern would likely come from massage businesses or practitioners about compliance burdens, trade-name use, or the scope of prohibited online content, but the voting record does not show organized opposition.