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FSMTB 2024 Annual Meeting Recap/Report Back to MTTAC/ADH

Writer's picture: Kirby Clark, MMTKirby Clark, MMT

The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards held their 2024 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., on October 3-5.

FSMTB’s flagship program is the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) which also includes practice exams and study guides. Other resources that FSMTB provides to Member Boards(like Arkansas)(and found on pg 8 of the Agenda packet) for free include: the Job Task Analysis, the Education Verification Center, School Outreach, the Regulatory Education & Competency Hub (REACH), CE Registry, the Massage Therapy Licensing Database (MTLD), the Interstate Massage Compact (Impact), Massage Board Executive Summits for EDs, quarterly Massage Attorney Panels (MAP), the Human Trafficking Task Force Report(https://fsmtb.org/resources/human-trafficking-task-force-report/), Government Relations Support & legislative tracking, the Model Massage Practice Act, Committees and Task Forces, and many other resources.


I attended the 2024 Annual Meeting as a non-delegate member of FSMTB- able to attend as a member serving on MTTAC, but unable to vote and full participate as a non-delegate. It is my understanding that this was the first time Arkansas was represented in any way since the Arkansas State Board of Massage Therapy was abolished and powers were transferred to MTTAC/Arkansas Department of Health- excluding one Meeting in the 2010s. Everyone I met wanted to know why I wasn’t on the other side of the room, representing Arkansas as a delegate.


Thursday began with a delegate orientation, which featured an introduction to their new digital voting system, by my count there were 28 delegates in attendance at Thursday night’s orientation. The evening concluded with a rooftop welcome reception (pictured on pg 4 of the Agenda packet) at the Conrad with a beautiful view of our nation’s capital. I was unable to secure a room at the Conrad, so my micro-tel was a 10-minute walk away in the middle of DC’s Chinatown.


Friday kicked off with a breakfast and repeat of the delegate voting training- a good thing too because there were 40 delegates in attendance on Friday, representing the 46 jurisdictions that are FSMTB members (including DC and Puerto Rico). Based on the attendance of official delegates, 21 votes in the affirmative would be needed to pass a motion, elect a position, or adopt a resolution and 2/3 (27 votes in the affirmative) would be required to make a change to FSMTB’s bylaws. There was unanimous approval of both the Agenda and Rules of Debate.


Following the morning’s Roll Call, a welcome to DC by the chair of their Board of Massage Therapy, and the opening Keynote from author, Corey Ciochetti were presented. FSMTB’s President, Craig Knowles, LMT and Chair of Georgia’s Board of Massage Therapy gave his President’s Report and reflected on his role as FSMTB’s outgoing President. This was followed by a presentation of candidates for election and the proposed Resolutions and Bylaw amendments (voting would take place the following day to give all delegates ample time to meet the candidates and review the proposed resolution and bylaws). Charlene Russell, LMT of Mississippi and Chair of FSMTB’s Nominating Committee introduced the candidates and Paul Andrews, LMT of Massachusetts and Chair of FSMTB’s Policy Committee introduced the Resolutions and Bylaw amendments.


It is important to remember that FSMTB leadership are not some nefarious administrators in a far off land, they are largely made up of dedicated LMT volunteers and their FSMTB’s office is in Kansas City. It is also important to remember that Arkansas is a member of FSMTB and these resolutions and bylaw amendments are the business of MTTAC. Arkansas is not unique in our regulatory authority being under a state department- many states are under their department of health or department of licensing/regulation/occupations.


Before lunch, a member forum was held for nearly a full hour for delegates to share the highlights and challenges from the past year- this was my favorite part of the meeting. The notes I took are as follows:

-Maryland: HB1498 makes aiding and abetting unauthorized practice a felony. (https://health.maryland.gov/massage/Documents/hb1498.pdf) & Handheld Devices (Subject to additional education and training requirements as determined by the Board in regulations, instrument–assisted soft tissue manipulation techniques that enhance or imitate manual techniques, including: 1. Muscle scraping; and 2. Vibration therapy." https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gho&section=6-101&enactments=false)

-Louisiana: Increased their Entry Level Classroom hours to 625. (https://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1356460) And they are struggling with a 9% Sales Tax on “Spa Services”.

-Idaho: Struggling with Establishment Licensing

-Florida: Now required to have a photograph attached to licenses- (Arkansas once did this too- a passport style photo affixed to license). Now requires signage with information about Human Trafficking be displayed. Massage establishments must now have windows that allow 35% light to penetrate the window and no more than 50% of the windows can be obstructed by signage, curtains, blinds etc. (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/197/BillText/er/PDF) They also held an Inspection workshop in collaboration with their Dept. of Health (https://floridasmassagetherapy.gov/latest-news/massage-establishment-inspection-workshop/)

-Nebraska: Updated definition of Massage Therapy (https://dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Documents/Massage%20Therapy.pdf)

-Texas: Can issue an Emergency Closure for suspected Human Trafficking (https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/OC/htm/OC.51.htm)

-South Dakota: Exploring increasing their Entry Level Classroom hours - Online training is acceptable to meet the training requirements for licensure. At least 200 hours of hands-on training from a recognized facility must be completed.

-Missouri: Increased their Entry Level Classroom hours to 625 (https://dci.mo.gov/proposed-rule/20-csr-2197-2-010-em.pdf). They mentioned they too have Emergency Suspension Authority.

-West Virginia: Emergency Posted Notice of Violation for Illicit Massage Businesses (I know the popular feeling is to not use the word Massage with businesses that are in fact sexual in nature, but IMB is the appropriate way to refer to these because it is how the Polaris Project identifies them https://polarisproject.org/category/illicit-massage-business/) , if the business remains open or removes the posted notice, they shall be fined $1,000 per day. (http://www.wvmassage.org/SB%20786.pdf)

-Washington: Now requires Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion training (4 hours every 2years) for renewal. (https://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-830-475) (Other states require similar training ex. Maryland requires training in Implicit Bias, DC specifically requires CE in LGBTQ population)

-Alabama: Entire Board was Sunset, transferred under Board of Nursing, new Board Members to be appointed (https://amtlb.alabama.gov/about/board/)

-Arizona: Their Board Sunset is scheduled for June 2025.


Following a provided lunch, FSMTB’s General Counsel facilitated a panel with the legal counsel(DC), attorneys(Oregon), or executive director(Missouri) about the Dos & Don’ts of Board Meetings, my notes are as follows:

-Revocation of licensure should be considered as a last resort option, in favor of Suspension so the regulatory agency retains jurisdiction over the licensee.

-Recommended 3 things at minimum should be recorded in our meeting minutes: 1) What was decided, 2) What was accomplished, 3) What was agreed upon.

-Recommended more statistical data be included in our Program Updates in order to validate our existence, demonstrate our efficiency and express the rationale behind our work. (For example: Quarterly updates of total licenses *CLIPS shows 3,825- but that is inaccurate because many individuals are logged twice, are there 3800 licensees in Arkansas or closer to 2100 at the start of the year?*, data that breaks down the number of LMTs, MMTs, MTIs, Students, & Apprentices, Quarterly update of number of Massage Schools & how many closed, Report of number of students graduating and number of students that get licensed. Number of upgrades between each MTTAC Meeting) Along those same lines, consider the optics of how often the regulatory authority meets (for MTTAC that is only 8/8,760 hours out of the year)

Make up of regulatory authority: Stand-alone (“independent”), Composite (MT & Nursing), Departmental (DOH, DOL, DOE, etc).

-Recommended that Inspectors be able to issue citations with fees and can issue emergency suspensions.

-Recognize a difference between Abstaining from a vote and Recusing from a vote: Abstaining- cannot make a decision therefore cannot vote, Recusing- cannot be objective in decision making, remove (including physically) from discussion and vote. “For reasons of objectivity, I recuse myself”

-Recommended drafting a Mission Statement. (Other Boards have a Mission Statement)

-Recommended Password Protected “Board Books”- online access to Board/Committee business, non-downloadable, non printable, wiped by Executive Director following meeting.

-Recommended to hold a joint meeting between MT and allied health professional boards to avoid scope of practice creep (ex. Cupping, Equine M, etc)

-Recommended to demystify regulation by inviting legislators, students, educators, and the media to our meetings. (I think having the CE incentive helps with this)

-If an attendee has a question or comment that they wish to make but weren’t on the Agenda, “reduce your question into writing to be included at the next MTTAC meeting”.

-Could Arkansas seek a law/rule change that “material changes to our practice act must come to MTTAC for COMMENT before enactment”?


There was a presentation on the changing landscape of regulation presented by FSMTB’s GR Manager and FSMTB’s Service Support Specialist. According to FSMTB,’s Government Relations Overview, there were many bills introduced across the country; 41 relating to licensure, 22 related to establishment licensing, 15 related to scope of practice, 11 related to mobility, and 5 related to schools or education. Similarly, there were multiple new regulation introduced in the past year; 24 relating to licensure, 12 related to schools or education, 11 related to establishment licensing, and 5 related to scope of practice. The primary topic of discussion for this presentation was the Department of Education’s 150%-100% rule for Title 4 funding and the trend of many states increasing their Entry Level Classroom hours to 625 or higher. Other topics included deregulation efforts in Alabama, Alaska, and Arizona, the VA’s national standards of practice and the Interstate Massage Compact (Impact). Notably, Impact meets all VA requirements and both Georgia and Oregon voiced a preference for Impact.


Friday concluded with dinner at RPM Italian (again, Pg 4 of the Agenda packet) and a DC at Dusk monuments tour- where attendees were bussed to sights such as the White House, the WWII Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the US Capitol Building.


The final day began with another Roll Call and Committee reports. The first from the Treasurer, Liz Barnard, LMT of Nevada. Notably, there were 3,780 volunteer hours contributed in 2024 with a value of $126,592. The Education Task Force report that followed came from Caroline Guerin, LMT of Texas and newly elected President of FSMTB. The Education Task Force is taking a second look at the 2013 Entry Level Analysis Project (ELAP) for possible revisions while simultaneously considering the changing landscape of massage therapy education including; Tech and AI, Apprentice style programs, and International education standards. The Ed Task Force has three charges; the current state of massage therapy education (namely a lack of national standards and consensus on classroom hours, curriculum components, the need for uniform transcript requirements, and online education), fraud and licensure integrity, and then need to refresh the ELAP.


Then it was time for elections (I was honored to be asked to serve as a teller for the paper ballot election of officers):

The following were elected to FSMTB’s Board of Directors for a 3-year term: Chimere Figaire Correa of Washington, Caroline Guerin of Texas, and Robert Ruark of Oregon.

The following were elected to serve on FSMTB’s Board of Directors for a 1-year term: Paul Andrews of Massachusetts and Nicole Davis of New Jersey.

The following were elected by acclamation to serve a 1-year term on FSMTB’s Nominating Committee: Foad Araiinejad of Alabama, Charlene Russell of Mississippi, and Jan Shaw of South Carolina.


Then electronic voting began on Resolutions and Bylaw Amendments:

-Resolution 2024-1 was adopted unanimously. Therefore it was resolved that FSMTB develop, budget, and implement an advocacy program intended to provide massage therapy regulatory education and regulatory information and perspectives to their Member Boards, legislators, the academic community, and other relevant massage therapy communities.

-Bylaw Amendment 2024-1 to Article 6, Section 3: Conduct of Business was passed unanimously. This was a technical change of the word “telephonic” to now read “virtual”.

-Bylaw Amendment 2024-4 to Article 11, Section 3: Effective Date was passed unanimously. This was a change of the policy to make the effective date of any bylaw amendments from “upon adoption” to “at the adjournment of the Annual Meeting at which they are adopted”. This was done to keep from interrupting or violating the bylaws by simply passing an amendment.


The afternoon included a presentation by Healwell’s Cal Cates and Kerry Jordan exploring Implicit Bias, why it matters and how to interrupt it. They noted how it is critical for regulators to identify implicit bias – whether with disciplinary cases or rule making.


Following lunch was a panel style discussion on other tools to combat human trafficking- the greatest threat to the profession of massage therapy. There was also a presentation from Dotti Groover Skipper, Founder/CEO of HeartDance Foundation and public member of the Florida Board of Massage Therapy. She provided a snapshot of her decades of anti-human trafficking experience and encouraged regulators to be mindful of the cultural issues at play with trafficking victims and survivors. Suggestions for how attendees could combat Human Trafficking included:

-Establishment regulation

-Human Trafficking Legislation

-Building relationships with Law Enforcement

-Working with anti-human trafficking organizations or joining human trafficking task forces

-Human Trafficking awareness education


The next session was a presentation from a representative from the company that helps FSMTB Procter the MBLEx. He spoke about the pressure or pushback for using standardized exams for licensure. There were 4 major themes to this presentation; exams are valuable, exams have predictive power, exams can reduce bias and increase accessibility, and as innovations change examination trends, these principles become more important. This presentation concluded with the potential impact that AI could have on examinations, including; content development, assessment scoring, and test security.


The final presentation before closing remarks and adjournment, was on legal trends and top cases- using real world examples from parallel and allied heath professions

For example, a recent change to the New Jersey Board of Chiropractors: “Poor decisions have consequences. If this board can’t be trusted to make responsible licensing decisions that protect the safety of New Jerseyans, the Legislature will have to look at reforms to the board itself.” NJ Senate leadership then introduced a bill that removed the current Chiropractic Examiners State Board and added 2 public members to their 11-person board.

Real world examples like this demonstrated the considerations that should go into administrative proceedings such as: reinstatement after revocation, voluntary surrender, reciprocal discipline, recission of an educational degree and its effect on a license, reapplication after denial and time/frequency limitations, and the overruling of Chevron deference.


Following the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, the newly elected Board of Directors went into executive canvas session- I was unable to attend as I had a flight home to make.


As noted on pg. 10 of the Agenda packet and the Volunteer Opportunities packet, there are multiple opportunities to volunteer with FSMTB to support their mission of supporting its Member Boards (like MTTAC) in their work to ensure the practice of massage therapy is provided to the public safely and competently. FSMTB’s 2025 Massage Board Executive Summit is being held in Scottsdale, Arizona on April 3rd and 4th, 2025. I would ADVISE MTTAC’s Executive Director to plan to be in attendance in order to enhance the support MTTAC receives from ADH in fulfilling our responsibility of protecting the public and practice of massage therapy. Furthermore, FSMTB’s 2025 Annual Meeting is being held in Kansas City, Missouri on October 5th, 6th, and 7th, 2025. Notably, they will be celebrating their 20th Anniversary and as a reminder, Arkansas made history by being one of the first to help establish the Federation back in 2005. Given the geographical closeness of the Annual Meeting of 2025, I would also ADVISE MTTAC members to consider attending to better understand our role as regulators and to learn from the practices, challenges, and victories of other massage therapy regulatory agencies across the country.


To close this report back, I would like to reflect briefly with a point of personal privilege.

What many of you may not know is that I personally invested in attending this year's Annual Meeting. The FSMTB covers the cost for one delegate from each jurisdiction, but those delegates must be selected by the state Board. Since the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) chose not to send a representative this year, I made the decision to step up and attend at my own expense. The total cost exceeded $1,000, not to mention the personal sacrifices involved—missed work and the strain it placed on my marriage. I put all expenses on a credit card and I’m still carrying a $500 balance, to this day!


I share this not to seek your sympathy or to receive reimbursement, but to lead by example. There is very little I wouldn’t risk to serve the massage therapists of Arkansas. I believe in the power of this profession and in the transformative impact we have on the lives of others.

I’m not suggesting that anyone jeopardize their personal or financial well-being, but I do challenge each of us to think about the bigger picture.


What more can we do to support one another and strengthen our profession?

There is always more that can be done.


I urge every Arkansan to get involved—not just with the local chapter of AMTA, but with any organization or initiative that amplifies our collective voice. The future of our profession doesn’t just hope for your participation; it demands it. This is not a passive request—it is an urgent call to action. The future of massage therapy, both here in Arkansas and nationwide, is built on the shoulders of those who show up, speak up, and act. So do all that you can do to keep advancing the causes and values that massage therapists hold dear.


Never doubt that you are valuable, and powerful, and always remember that we are the rightful heirs to the legacy of Arkansas massage practitioners from times gone by.

I want to thank everyone here today dedicating their time for this recap of FSMTB’s 2024 Annual Meeting. It is my honor to serve MTTAC on your behalf.



Peace and Healing,

Kirby Clark Ellis, MTI, BCTMB

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