Illustration composited by James Vaughn
California's Massage Regulation Catastrophe
June 8, 2017
California Massage Therapists jumped with enthusiastic support when the Massage Therapy Act * (MTA) and California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) promised them the professional, legal, social, and political legitimacy, distinction, and respect they deserve and had long-sought as Essential Healthcare Professionals.
* Senate Bill 731 (2009) created the CAMTC to oversee the voluntary certification of Massage Therapists (MTs).
This certification provided MTs the valuable option to forego the expense and hassle of getting permits in every city they work in -which was extremely convenient for those who provided mobile massage in numerous cities.
The MTA was re-authorized by Assembly Bill 1147 (2013) followed by Assembly Bill 2194 (2016).
CAMTC is a private nonprofit public benefit corporation. Its Board of Directors is appointed by California cities, counties, law enforcement, massage schools, the Department of Consumer Affairs, professional massage associations and other stakeholders as authorized by law in California Business and Professions Code sections 4600 et. seq.
See: https://www.camtc.org/information-about-camtc/about-camtc
However, the MTA was a Trojan Horse that contained a critical loophole that could only have been intended to be exploited by this corrupt cabal and their cronies to profoundly profit politically and commercially, as massage schools, MTs, and even massage consumers soon came to realize in horror.
This loophole concerns how the MTA does not prevent cities, counties, or employers from adopting ordinances and policies that make this so-called "voluntary" certification mandatory in order to open a massage practice or hire massage therapists.
This policy spreading further throughout California, along with the MTA giving the CAMTC the right to decide what massage schools qualify for their certification, is what gave the CAMTC monopoly by virtue of the fact that massage schools not approved by the CAMTC had no hope of students enrolling in their schools knowing they wouldn't be able to get work with that school's "unapproved" certification.
Today, thousands of MTs have lost their business, reputation, careers, and the only life they've known; while dozens of massage schools were forced to close by the unchecked monopoly given to the CAMTC by the devious design of the MTA.
The lost productivity from massage consumers finding it increasingly harder to find quality MTs to maintain their health and medical needs, and the poverty that MTs and massage school owners were forced into are just two of several outcomes of this sordid affair that's been silently devastating California's economy under the media's nose since 2009.
There are over 52,900 MTs in California, and hundreds of Massage Schools, living under the oppressive and illegal monopoly the MTA created by giving no effective oversight to prevent the abuse of unilateral power given to the CAMTC.
All of California needs to know:
* the details of this scandalous affair,
* what needs to happen to stop it from harming California's economy and citizens further and,
* most importantly, the immediate solution now available through Vaughn Health.
Continue reading below.
1) The Massage Therapy Act bypasses our justice system
The primary purpose of the MTA is to help authorities more quickly and easily shut down Massage Therapists suspected of prostitution or sexual misconduct, and to curb human trafficking related to illicit massage establishments.
The MTA does this by authorizing the CAMTC to bypass our courts using their own private tribunal, the Professional Standards Division (PSD), to revoke or suspend certifications at will, without any oversight to prevent them from abusing their discretion.
The MTA does this by authorizing the CAMTC to bypass our courts using their own private tribunal, the Professional Standards Division (PSD), to revoke or suspend certifications at will, without any oversight to prevent them from abusing their discretion.
2) The PSD uses the lowest standard of proof
While Massage Therapy is generally considered safe, injuries, and sexual assault are extremely rare. To put this in meaningful context, the Massage Envy franchise made the news in 2019 when 180 claims of sexual misconduct or assault were filed against 1,200 clinics. Those 180 individuals contrast strongly against the more than 178 million massages performed since the franchise began operations in 2002.
Regardless, sexual assault is regarded as a criminal offense, and courts determine convictions by the standard of evidence called “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.” This makes it very difficult to convict guilty perpetrators, particularly since most massages are provided behind closed doors without supervision.
However, there's an alarming number of people who make false legal claims of all kinds for unethical and immoral purposes. Most MTs are easy targets they can't afford a Criminal Defense attorney, and since there's almost never any proof to support claims either way, cases are determined by which of the two parties a jury finds most credible. Unfortunately, society is generally prejudiced against men when claims of sexual assault are made by women, making male MTs especially at risk of being convicted whether claims are honest or false.
For this reason, such claims must be given the legal scrutiny they deserve in a court of law. However, CA Legislators approved the MTA despite it allowing the PSD to observe the lowest standard of proof, called "Preponderance of Evidence,” even for claims as series as sexual assault. This is patently deprives MTs their constitutional rights, especially male MTs. The significance of this will be explained below.
For this reason, such claims must be given the legal scrutiny they deserve in a court of law. However, CA Legislators approved the MTA despite it allowing the PSD to observe the lowest standard of proof, called "Preponderance of Evidence,” even for claims as series as sexual assault. This is patently deprives MTs their constitutional rights, especially male MTs. The significance of this will be explained below.
3) The PSD wants to "find" MTs guilty
On page 20, under Overall Cost of Program Compared to its Success, the CAMTC states:
“The CAMTC reported in its 2015 Sunset Review Report that it's hearing process works very well and is cost effective. …Before sending a proposed denial or proposed revocation or discipline letter, the CAMTC makes sure that there is sufficient evidence to take action against the individual. This results in a very high number of proposed denials and proposed certificate holder disciplines being upheld…”
Their statement reveals that, when the PSD sends a letter “proposing” to discipline Certificate Holders, they’ve already decided to do execute said discipline based on the claimant's statement alone, before getting the defendant's statement.
Not only does this mean the CAMTC is dishonest about gathering “sufficient evidence” to support disciplinary action against Certificate Holders, the PSD ignores the defendant’s testimony, supporting character statements and evidence regardless of how overwhelmingly they vindicate the defendant.
They also ignore how discreditable the claimant is. The decision has already been made.
This is particularly evident in the letter sent by the PSD to the accused Certificate Holder which shows unambiguous language stating claims as fact instead of allegations. From there, the PSD’s Investigating Officer treats the Certificate Holder with prejudice and assumed guilt.
To be more clear, the PSD bases their decision simply on a letter claiming misconduct by a Certificate Holder being signed under penalty of perjury. They rest on that letter even if it's countered by a greater number of letters signed under penalty of perjury that support the Certificate Holder’s ethics and professionalism.
This clear double-standard is motivated by the architects of the MTA, and the CAMTC, who profit by maintaining the invalid pretense of the "need" for this regulatory scheme being “measured” by how many certifications they suspend or revoke.
And the Legislative committees assigned to supposedly watch over this regulatory affair have continued to enable this ruse despite a 3rd party having proven this scheme is ineffective and puts MTs at unnecessary risk (besides violating their constitutional rights to due process, no less). More on that further in this article.
4) Appeals are inaccessible and ineffective
When this certificate is denied, suspended, or revoked, the ONLY way to appeal that is in Superior Court through what’s called a “Writ of Mandamus.” Attorneys charge a minimum of $20,000 to produce and file this document. That's besides any additional costs related to thecase, which can reach $10,000 or more. However, 99% of MTs can’t afford this.
And, this is a futile effort anyway since the ALJ only reviews whether the defendant's constitutional rights to due process were observed, and doesn't review the evidence with unbiased eyes to provide a new, prevailing, judgement. The ALJ doesn't decide whether the PSD abused their discretion or made a fair judgement that ends the defendant's career. To make matters worse, there are an alarming number of unethical attorneys who are aware of this, yet disregard their fiduciary duty to advise MTs so they can make the sensible choice to use $20,000+ to literally buy themselves time to develop an alternative way to make a living so they don't end up filing bankruptcy, losing their homes, or having to give their children up for adoption because they can't afford to take care of them.
Since Massage Therapy education ends with a certification from a Massage School, rather than a college degree, MTs have virtually no prospects of competing for other career fields that will pay the same they made as an MT -which typically range from $50 - $150 or more per hour. What jobs do you know of off the top of your head where you can earn such wages in only a month or two? Perhaps only 1% of MTs have any signficant savings at any given time to afford to get a college degree or vocational training.
The bottom line is that our state Legislation approved a system that enables a small group of unethical people (the CAMTC) to profit from a corrupt and ineffective regulatory scheme at the exclusive expense of innocent Massage Therapists, and our Legislation re-approves this travesty every 4 years.
Adding insult to injury, the voices of the Professional Massage Community has been ignored by the professional organizations and state Representatives who are supposed to be looking out for their constituents. I and my professional peers have been bringing these matters to our Representatives since I fell victim to all this in 2015, yet we continue to be given no effective support. Those who don’t make a living in Politics or Law don't have the time, expertise, or resources to fight such monolithic battles.
And, this is a futile effort anyway since the ALJ only reviews whether the defendant's constitutional rights to due process were observed, and doesn't review the evidence with unbiased eyes to provide a new, prevailing, judgement. The ALJ doesn't decide whether the PSD abused their discretion or made a fair judgement that ends the defendant's career. To make matters worse, there are an alarming number of unethical attorneys who are aware of this, yet disregard their fiduciary duty to advise MTs so they can make the sensible choice to use $20,000+ to literally buy themselves time to develop an alternative way to make a living so they don't end up filing bankruptcy, losing their homes, or having to give their children up for adoption because they can't afford to take care of them.
Since Massage Therapy education ends with a certification from a Massage School, rather than a college degree, MTs have virtually no prospects of competing for other career fields that will pay the same they made as an MT -which typically range from $50 - $150 or more per hour. What jobs do you know of off the top of your head where you can earn such wages in only a month or two? Perhaps only 1% of MTs have any signficant savings at any given time to afford to get a college degree or vocational training.
The bottom line is that our state Legislation approved a system that enables a small group of unethical people (the CAMTC) to profit from a corrupt and ineffective regulatory scheme at the exclusive expense of innocent Massage Therapists, and our Legislation re-approves this travesty every 4 years.
Adding insult to injury, the voices of the Professional Massage Community has been ignored by the professional organizations and state Representatives who are supposed to be looking out for their constituents. I and my professional peers have been bringing these matters to our Representatives since I fell victim to all this in 2015, yet we continue to be given no effective support. Those who don’t make a living in Politics or Law don't have the time, expertise, or resources to fight such monolithic battles.
5) Professional massage associations offer no protection
American Massage Council and ABMP (Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals) do not cover claims made against CAMTC certificates; and AMTA (American Massage Therapy Association) only covers $10,000 for legal expenses per proceeding -so long as it’s not related to claims of sexual misconduct*.
* While claims of sexual misconduct are much harder to prove than injury claims, they are more common in the massage industry, while injury claims are extremely rare. Consequently, these professional organizations refuse to protect MTs from their greatest risk to keep their coffers from getting tied up in claims, and to stay as profitable as possible.
Only a handful of liability insurance providers cover the claims that Massage Therapists are at greatest risk for. But, their policies begin at $800 per year compared to $99 - $250. So, most MTs choose other plans to save money with now awarness of the risks of working in CA until it’s too late.
And, the professional massage organizations they trust to look out for their best interests have a conflict of interest in making them aware, because they don't want to lose their income to professional liability providers who cover such claims.
6) CAMTC claimants cannot be sued for defamation
Defamation requires “unprivileged” statements such as those made through newspapers, magazines, TV, etc. But even false claims made in court, City Council meetings or the CAMTC are considered “privileged” so accusers can’t be sued if they use such venues.
7) Cities, Counties, and Employers violate the MTA
Despite the CAMTC certificate being "voluntary" and not required by State law to practice massage in CA, most cities and counties have passed ordinances making this certification mandatory to get a Massage Permit and Business License, while Massage Employers made this requirement policy.
Before the MTA (2009), cities, counties, and employers conducted background checks on Massage Therapists, and obtained proof of their credentials. All the CAMTC has done is take up this task on their behalf, which cities, counties, and employers have taken advantage of only to save time and money by not doing this themselves. And Massage Therapists are the ones financing this with their CAMTC certificate dues.
This makes such municipal ordinances and employer policies unreasonable and unnecessary, which is relevant to Section 4603.1 of the MTA:
“Local governments shall impose and enforce only reasonable and necessary fees and regulations on massage businesses and massage establishments, in keeping with the requirements of existing law and being mindful of the need to protect legitimate business owners and massage professionals, particularly sole providers.” At their Board of Directors meeting on June 8, 2017, Beverly May, the CAMTC Director of Governmental Affairs and Human Trafficking reported on page 50:
“There are approximately 190 cities and counties that require certification at this point. At least 13 others … are in some stage of preparing a new ordinance, and the intent of each at this point is to require certification. …It will take some political push to move the process.” The CAMTC has a conflict of interest in suing municipalities and employers from violating the MTA, while these entities are unmotivated to repeal their ordinances and policies to save on human resources.
And, as I previously mentioned, our state representatives have shown no interest in protecting Massage Therapists from these actions that prevent MTs from working anywhere in most of California.
These facts have made the CAMTC's so-called "voluntary" certification mandatory for most MTs. And this has been intentionally promoted by the CAMTC through an active campaign to mislead numerous statewide stakeholders intersecting with the Massage Industry. It's critical to note that Beverly May stated in her April 12, 2022 report to the CAMTC Board Meeting: “Although many cities and counties have preferred to replace their mandatory massage permits and instead mandate certification, I have written previously of some that prefer to leave the choice to the massage therapists. Palo Alto and San Diego are two cities that have left the choice of whether to certify to the profession with no resulting problems.” This recent statement alone indicates that the MTA & CAMTC are completely unnecessary to ensure Public Safety regarding Massage Therapists. Another critical observation worth pointing out here is that May mentions only 2 cities. And, there are 482 cities in CA, with roughly only 203 cities requiring the CAMTC certification by 2016. While that number has presumably risen since then, we should presume that May would highlight how many cities DO have problems by NOT requiring CAMTC certification. However, I have found no mention of any problems in any of May's reports.
This makes such municipal ordinances and employer policies unreasonable and unnecessary, which is relevant to Section 4603.1 of the MTA:
“Local governments shall impose and enforce only reasonable and necessary fees and regulations on massage businesses and massage establishments, in keeping with the requirements of existing law and being mindful of the need to protect legitimate business owners and massage professionals, particularly sole providers.” At their Board of Directors meeting on June 8, 2017, Beverly May, the CAMTC Director of Governmental Affairs and Human Trafficking reported on page 50:
“There are approximately 190 cities and counties that require certification at this point. At least 13 others … are in some stage of preparing a new ordinance, and the intent of each at this point is to require certification. …It will take some political push to move the process.” The CAMTC has a conflict of interest in suing municipalities and employers from violating the MTA, while these entities are unmotivated to repeal their ordinances and policies to save on human resources.
And, as I previously mentioned, our state representatives have shown no interest in protecting Massage Therapists from these actions that prevent MTs from working anywhere in most of California.
These facts have made the CAMTC's so-called "voluntary" certification mandatory for most MTs. And this has been intentionally promoted by the CAMTC through an active campaign to mislead numerous statewide stakeholders intersecting with the Massage Industry. It's critical to note that Beverly May stated in her April 12, 2022 report to the CAMTC Board Meeting: “Although many cities and counties have preferred to replace their mandatory massage permits and instead mandate certification, I have written previously of some that prefer to leave the choice to the massage therapists. Palo Alto and San Diego are two cities that have left the choice of whether to certify to the profession with no resulting problems.” This recent statement alone indicates that the MTA & CAMTC are completely unnecessary to ensure Public Safety regarding Massage Therapists. Another critical observation worth pointing out here is that May mentions only 2 cities. And, there are 482 cities in CA, with roughly only 203 cities requiring the CAMTC certification by 2016. While that number has presumably risen since then, we should presume that May would highlight how many cities DO have problems by NOT requiring CAMTC certification. However, I have found no mention of any problems in any of May's reports.
8) The MTA created a state-wide monopoly
Since 2009, the Massage Therapy Act (MTA) has given the CAMTC exclusive authority to decide which massage schools they will arbitrarily “approve” to qualify students for the CAMTC certification.
Not only does this violate Anti-Trust laws, there is a conflict of interest as one of the board members of the CAMTC, Sara Frazier, is also the Director of Faculty & Students at the National Holistic Institute (NHI), "A College of Massage Therapy".
See: https://nhi.edu/about-massage-schools/our-people/leadership https://www.camtc.org/information-about-camtc/board-of-directors
Since NHI began operations in 1979, it had only ONE location. Since the CAMTC began operations in 2009 however, NHI added new locations about every year to a current 10 locations; while squeezing out competing massage schools by not “approving” of their curriculum.
With students understanding they won’t be able to get the CAMTC certification if they graduate from “unapproved” or “denied” Massage Schools because cities, counties, and employers require the CAMTC’s “voluntary” certification, those schools couldn’t enroll students and were consequently forced out of the competition of schools that the CAMTC arbitrarily favor despite having produced excellent Massage Therapists for decades.
Look to the left on the following page to see all the schools that have been adversely impacted by the CAMTC’s abuse of discretion:
www.camtc.org/schools-info-find-a-school/#approved
Not only does this violate Anti-Trust laws, there is a conflict of interest as one of the board members of the CAMTC, Sara Frazier, is also the Director of Faculty & Students at the National Holistic Institute (NHI), "A College of Massage Therapy".
See: https://nhi.edu/about-massage-schools/our-people/leadership https://www.camtc.org/information-about-camtc/board-of-directors
Since NHI began operations in 1979, it had only ONE location. Since the CAMTC began operations in 2009 however, NHI added new locations about every year to a current 10 locations; while squeezing out competing massage schools by not “approving” of their curriculum.
With students understanding they won’t be able to get the CAMTC certification if they graduate from “unapproved” or “denied” Massage Schools because cities, counties, and employers require the CAMTC’s “voluntary” certification, those schools couldn’t enroll students and were consequently forced out of the competition of schools that the CAMTC arbitrarily favor despite having produced excellent Massage Therapists for decades.
Look to the left on the following page to see all the schools that have been adversely impacted by the CAMTC’s abuse of discretion:
www.camtc.org/schools-info-find-a-school/#approved
9) The Massage Therapy Act FAILED its mission
BlueSky Consulting was commissioned by the CAMTC to evaluate the Massage Therapy Act, and in December 2016, they reported that the Massage Therapy Act:
• has not meaningfully curbed prostitution and human trafficking• has not made the public meaningfully safer• has not meaningfully unburdened the courts
Besides the mystery of how Legislation passed the Massage Therapy Act despite all these profound flaws in its design, BlueSky’s report illustrates that the MTA has proven to be an absolute fiasco and boondoggle. And, as discussed in #7 above here, the CAMTC has not reported any cities having greater problems with Public Safety by NOT requiring CAMTC certification. If there were such problems, we could be sure the CAMTC would capitalize on emphasizing this. The following article substantially addresses the concern of Public Safety with respect to sex-crimes committed by Massage Therapists: www.abmp.com/textonlymags/article.php?article=1747 Note that the article is written by a respected authority in the Massage Industry, who mentions such instances are extremely rare, perhaps even less prevelant than other industries, and that the article was published in ABMP's September/October 2017 Issue, and the CAMTC isn't mentioned at all despite having operated 8 years by that point. You will see that Massage Schools, Massage Therapists, and Massage Employers are the primary juncture where the Massage Industry has the best opportunity (and obligation) to minimize the risk of sex-crimes committed by Massage Therapists. While the CAMTC presumably assesses a Massage School's curriculum in this regards, the CAMTC can't claim they've played a statistically relevant role in curbing sex-crimes. And they haven't. The next "line of defense" naturally falls on Massage Employers -all of whom should conduct criminal background checks on their potential employees as a matter of not only looking after Public Safety but also the liability of the employer. Then, cities and counties have a duty to ensure Public Safety as much as reasonably possible. When determining whether to issue a Massage Permit and Business License to an alleged Massage Therapist seeking to open a private practice, what more can they do other than validating the applicant's credentials, and doing a criminal background check? Again, this is all the CAMTC does too. But such redundancy doesn't ADD any extra measures to ensure Public Safety. The following article by the CDC reveals why the Massage Industry has ZERO control on where sex-crimes ultimately stem from: www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/riskprotectivefactors.html It's noteworthy that Massage Therapists suffer Sexual Harassment with alarming frequency, affecting male and female practitioners alike. Google "sexual harassment massage therapists" and you'll get countless articles addressing this chronic issue. Interestingly, the following article discusses the potential for a "Panic Button" that can be used by BOTH Massage Therapists and clients when either are subjected to sexual assault or harassment: www.employment-counsel.com/blog/2019/03/massage-therapy-has-high-rates-of-sexual-harassment ...A fair review of the literature and statistics on these matters clearly reveal not only why the CAMTC can't possibly prevent sex-crimes, but should in fact already KNOW they can't, which suggests they have exploited the ignorance, bias, and fears of both the general public and California's Legislation. After 13 years of allowing this catastrophe to continue unabated, the Assembly Committee on Business and Professions, and the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development, seem to have finally indicate a hint of awareness and concern, as detailed in their Background Paper for the California Massage Therapy Council Joint Sunset Review Oversight Hearing, March 9, 2021: https://abp.assembly.ca.gov/sites/abp.assembly.ca.gov/files/Massage%20Therapy%20Council%20Sunset%20Background%20Paper%20%282021%29.pdf Note how the committee's "recommendations" clearly acknowledge and chide the CAMTC's spectacular failure; and let's them know, at long last, that they're running out of time to prove why they should continue to exist. Unfortunately, as with all bureaucracies, California's Legislative Representatives have acted too slowly, and too weakly, to make up for the profound harm and injustice they allowed for their constituents by letting these wolves inside.
Besides the mystery of how Legislation passed the Massage Therapy Act despite all these profound flaws in its design, BlueSky’s report illustrates that the MTA has proven to be an absolute fiasco and boondoggle. And, as discussed in #7 above here, the CAMTC has not reported any cities having greater problems with Public Safety by NOT requiring CAMTC certification. If there were such problems, we could be sure the CAMTC would capitalize on emphasizing this. The following article substantially addresses the concern of Public Safety with respect to sex-crimes committed by Massage Therapists: www.abmp.com/textonlymags/article.php?article=1747 Note that the article is written by a respected authority in the Massage Industry, who mentions such instances are extremely rare, perhaps even less prevelant than other industries, and that the article was published in ABMP's September/October 2017 Issue, and the CAMTC isn't mentioned at all despite having operated 8 years by that point. You will see that Massage Schools, Massage Therapists, and Massage Employers are the primary juncture where the Massage Industry has the best opportunity (and obligation) to minimize the risk of sex-crimes committed by Massage Therapists. While the CAMTC presumably assesses a Massage School's curriculum in this regards, the CAMTC can't claim they've played a statistically relevant role in curbing sex-crimes. And they haven't. The next "line of defense" naturally falls on Massage Employers -all of whom should conduct criminal background checks on their potential employees as a matter of not only looking after Public Safety but also the liability of the employer. Then, cities and counties have a duty to ensure Public Safety as much as reasonably possible. When determining whether to issue a Massage Permit and Business License to an alleged Massage Therapist seeking to open a private practice, what more can they do other than validating the applicant's credentials, and doing a criminal background check? Again, this is all the CAMTC does too. But such redundancy doesn't ADD any extra measures to ensure Public Safety. The following article by the CDC reveals why the Massage Industry has ZERO control on where sex-crimes ultimately stem from: www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/riskprotectivefactors.html It's noteworthy that Massage Therapists suffer Sexual Harassment with alarming frequency, affecting male and female practitioners alike. Google "sexual harassment massage therapists" and you'll get countless articles addressing this chronic issue. Interestingly, the following article discusses the potential for a "Panic Button" that can be used by BOTH Massage Therapists and clients when either are subjected to sexual assault or harassment: www.employment-counsel.com/blog/2019/03/massage-therapy-has-high-rates-of-sexual-harassment ...A fair review of the literature and statistics on these matters clearly reveal not only why the CAMTC can't possibly prevent sex-crimes, but should in fact already KNOW they can't, which suggests they have exploited the ignorance, bias, and fears of both the general public and California's Legislation. After 13 years of allowing this catastrophe to continue unabated, the Assembly Committee on Business and Professions, and the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development, seem to have finally indicate a hint of awareness and concern, as detailed in their Background Paper for the California Massage Therapy Council Joint Sunset Review Oversight Hearing, March 9, 2021: https://abp.assembly.ca.gov/sites/abp.assembly.ca.gov/files/Massage%20Therapy%20Council%20Sunset%20Background%20Paper%20%282021%29.pdf Note how the committee's "recommendations" clearly acknowledge and chide the CAMTC's spectacular failure; and let's them know, at long last, that they're running out of time to prove why they should continue to exist. Unfortunately, as with all bureaucracies, California's Legislative Representatives have acted too slowly, and too weakly, to make up for the profound harm and injustice they allowed for their constituents by letting these wolves inside.
10) The CAMTC's lack of transparency and due process in raising their fees 50%
One of many examples demonstrating the CAMTC's lack of ethics and transparency, they increased their certification fee in January 2023 another 50% -bringing their fee up to $300 from its original $150.
This fee is unproportional to fees in states with professions of similar size. For example:
Florida charges only $105 every 2 years for their massage license, and Texas charges only $75 every 2 years; while only Alaska, Connecticut, Maryland, and Nevada charge more than $200. But licensees in those states average ~3,600 versus California’s 52,900+.
This fee increase was approved with only 6 of the CAMTC's 11 board members, which barely meets quorum.
Extensive background materials were only distributed 2 business days in advance of the board meeting, and one of those days was the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Only 3 members of the public were in attendance.
Only 2 minutes was allowed to address the full array of issues at the meeting.
None of the communications from members opposing the fee increase ahead of the meeting were read aloud or entered into the meeting record.
Though the process was technically compliant, there was no opportunity for discussion and debate to inform an appropriate outcome.
According to research by ABMP, this fee increase results in over $7 million dollars in revenue with no oversight.
Look below to see an example of how our CA Representatives seem to have either no genuine interest, or real power, to avert this miscarriage of the Public's Trust:
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Summary:
Although the CAMTC certification is voluntary by CA law, most cities, counties, and employers require it by exploiting a loophole in the MTA that was either devised intentionally by its architects, or simply benign oversight and incompetence. My instincts suggest the former however.
Thus, losing their certification results in Massage Therapists losing their ability to work in CA.
Since Massage Therapy education doesn't qualify for any other work, losing this certification causes Massage Therapists to suffer catastrophic financial hardship, which has resulted in homelessness and broken families for thousands. This is compounded by the hopelessness of finding support in a broken legal and political system, and the defamation and prejudice that impedes their ability to find social support and viable work prospects.
This grotesque affair has unnecessarily put California's more than 52,900 Massage Therapists at unacceptable and needless risk of losing their livelihood -and their reputations- on nothing more than the whim of unethical, immoral people.
The Bottom Line:
The Massage Therapy Act (MTA) and California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) have been the most destructive event ever faced by California's Massage Industry.
The MTA was grossly misconceived, is redundant, unnecessary, failed its promoted purpose, and established an illegal monopoly on California's Massage Industry since 2009, with no effective government oversight to prevent the CAMTC from violating anti-trust laws, destroying the lives of thousands of Massage Therapists, dozens of massage schools, and the families and economies they supported.
For the greater good of Californians and our economy, the MTA should be immediately SUSPENDED by the Governor's Office by Emergency Act until Lawmakers and Legislators fully investigate these issues, and determine a proper regulatory system for professional Massage Therapy.
Take ACTION!
1) SIGN this petition,
2) SHARE this article with City, County and State Representatives, and your communities,
3) PRESSURE your City and/or County to repeal ordinances requiring CAMTC certification,
5) JOIN the conversation at www.facebook.com/groups/ReformCAMTC
2) SHARE this article with City, County and State Representatives, and your communities,
3) PRESSURE your City and/or County to repeal ordinances requiring CAMTC certification,
5) JOIN the conversation at www.facebook.com/groups/ReformCAMTC