BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1130

By: Hancock

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation required all portions of the massage therapy school curriculum to be taught in person. Due to COVID‑19, Governor Abbott issued a waiver allowing most of the massage therapy school curriculum to be taught online, with the exception of the hands-on components. S.B. 1130 seeks to make permanent this waiver, thus removing barriers to entry both for schools that wish to offer online massage therapy training courses and for students who may have a full-time job or other responsibilities that prevent them from attending a fully in-person slate of courses.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation in SECTION 3 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1130 amends the Occupations Code to give an applicant for a massage therapy license the option to complete all required hours of massage therapy studies using distance learning, other than the internship program and the hours of study taught by a licensed massage therapy instructor dedicated to massage therapy techniques and theory and the practice of manipulation of soft tissue. The bill clarifies that distance learning is not limited to live instruction and requires the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation to adopt rules necessary to implement the bill's changes to law not later than December 1, 2021. An applicant may satisfy their applicable training requirements using distance learning regardless of whether the application is submitted before, on, or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.