Stop S.191 & H.282 An Act Regulating Alternative Healing Therapies 
(formerly S.221 and H.350)

An Act Regulating Alternative Healing Therapies has been refiled in both the House and the Senate. The previous bill died in the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure last year after a public hearing and strong opposition. 

S.191 and H.282 requires the state to establish standards and licensing for the practice and teaching of holistic modalities under the control and direction of a board predominantly populated by massage therapists, and to restrict the teaching of the holistic modalities to schools licensed by the state.

This bill is being presented as a solution to Human Trafficking and Prostitution.  According to the MA Attorney General’s Office for the previous bill: “The bill creates a regulatory structure for alternative healing therapies to prevent criminals from using these currently unregulated practices as fronts for human trafficking,”

S.191 and H.282 will negatively affect thousands of sole practitioners and instructors from a wide array of disciplines such as Reiki, Qi Gong, Asian Bodywork Therapy, Trager, Feldenkrais, Ayurvedic Therapies, Reflexology, Polarity Therapy, Rolf Structural Integration, Body Mind Centering, Acupressure, Energy and Somatic Healing Practices who are now exempt from massage licensure under current law.

These requirements would create significant hardships and force alternative healthcare practitioners and teachers of these modalities to close their practices. The bill also eliminates freedom of choice in alternative healthcare for the people of Massachusetts.

Detrimental aspects of this bill:

• Uses occupational licensing laws to attempt to solve a criminal law enforcement issue - these subjects are completely separate and should not be lumped together;
  
  
• Threatens the public’s ability to access the alternative health practitioners of their choice;
  
  
• Seeks to have holistic modalities taught only at state licensed schools with curriculum meeting state established standards at a cost of more than $8,000; 
  
  
• Creates an unnecessary and burdensome level of compliance for Holistic Healthcare Practitioners.

Please protect the public’s right to access alternative and complementary healthcare.

Please oppose S.191 and H.282

Thank you!