To amend sections 503.40, 503.41, 503.42, 503.44, 503.45, 503.46, 503.47, 503.48, 503.49, 2927.17, 4731.04, 4731.15, 4731.41, and 4731.99 of the Revised Code to clarify the professionals that may perform massage therapy.
HB744 would revise Ohio law governing massage therapy and township regulation of massage establishments. The bill updates terminology throughout the Revised Code, replacing references to “masseur” and “masseuse” with “massager,” and aligns township-level regulation with the state medical board’s definition of massage therapy. It also clarifies that certain licensed health professionals and students may perform massage techniques without needing a separate massage therapy license when acting within their authorized scope of practice.
The bill preserves and expands township authority to license, permit, inspect, and regulate massage establishments in unincorporated areas, including permit requirements, license applications, health and safety inspections, operating-hour restrictions, and penalties for prohibited conduct. It also strengthens the criminal advertising provisions by prohibiting advertisements for massage services that suggest sexual activity or that promote unlicensed massage services, while tying enforcement to existing criminal penalties and local regulatory authority.
HB744 would amend multiple sections of the Revised Code affecting township zoning and licensing powers, criminal advertising provisions, and the state medical board’s regulation of massage therapy as a limited branch of medicine. It would update permit and licensure standards for massage establishments and practitioners, clarify exemptions for physicians, chiropractors, podiatrists, nurses, and other licensed health professionals, and preserve township authority to regulate massage businesses in unincorporated areas. The bill would also modify criminal penalties related to unlawful massage advertising and unlicensed practice, affecting massage businesses, practitioners, township boards, and enforcement authorities.
The bill appears to be framed as a technical and clarifying measure rather than a major policy overhaul. Based on the introduced status and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, there is no documented public debate in the provided materials. The overall tone of the legislation is regulatory and administrative, with an emphasis on clarifying who may lawfully provide massage therapy and how local governments may oversee massage establishments.
The main potential points of contention are the scope of township regulatory authority, the licensing and background-check requirements for massage practitioners, and the criminalization of certain advertising practices. The bill also distinguishes between licensed massage therapists and other health professionals who may use massage techniques within their own professions, which could raise questions about overlap in scope of practice. In addition, the use of criminal penalties for advertising unlicensed massage services or sexualized massage advertising may be viewed as either a consumer-protection measure or an enforcement burden, depending on the stakeholder.