Massage therapy; transferring certain powers and duties to the Board of Chiropractic Examiners; establishing and modifying certain licensure requirements. Effective date.
SB 545 would substantially reorganize Oklahoma’s regulation of massage therapy by moving authority under the Massage Therapy Practice Act from the State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering to the Board of Chiropractic Examiners. The bill transfers records, funds, liabilities, pending matters, and existing administrative rules to the new board, and it directs the Office of Management and Enterprise Services and the Office of Administrative Rules to help complete the transition. It also updates statutory definitions and references throughout the massage therapy code to reflect the new regulator.
The bill also revises licensure and enforcement rules for massage therapists and massage therapy schools. It updates education and examination requirements, increases the annual massage therapy license fee to $75, and authorizes the new board to set additional administrative fees and rules. It adds a new massage therapy establishment license requirement beginning January 1, 2026, with a $200 application fee, inspection authority, and disciplinary authority for establishments that violate the law or board rules. The bill further expands complaint handling, confidentiality protections, and disciplinary procedures, while maintaining criminal penalties for unlicensed practice and improper advertising.
SB 545 would amend multiple sections of Title 59 governing massage therapy and create new statutory provisions for board transfer and establishment licensing. In practical terms, it would shift oversight, rulemaking, investigations, licensing, and discipline for massage therapy from the cosmetology/barbering board to the chiropractic board, while preserving existing rules through the transition. It would also impose new compliance obligations on individual massage therapists and massage therapy businesses, including establishment licensure, inspections, recordkeeping, and updated qualification standards for new applicants.
The bill appears to have had mixed but somewhat divided support in committee. It received a 5-5 vote in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee on a DO PASS motion and ultimately failed in committee. The text suggests the bill was intended to modernize and consolidate regulation, but the close vote indicates that members were not unified on the transfer of authority or the new licensing and enforcement structure.
The most likely points of contention are the transfer of regulatory authority to the Board of Chiropractic Examiners, the new establishment licensing requirement, and the increased fees and inspection powers. Stakeholders in the massage therapy industry may have concerns about added costs, more oversight, and the practical burden of compliance, while supporters may view the changes as a way to improve professional regulation and enforcement. The bill also tightens disciplinary procedures and confidentiality rules, which could raise concerns about due process, access to complaint information, and the scope of board investigations.