STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3140

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     S.B. No. 2878

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2878 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MASSAGE THERAPY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Authorize the Board of Massage Therapy to promulgate and enforce sanitation rules for massage establishments;

 

     (2)  Repeal the petty misdemeanor penalty for practicing massage therapy without a license in favor of existing statutes that already treat unlicensed activity as a misdemeanor; and

 

     (3)  Increase the minimum fine from $100 to $250 and the maximum fine from $1,000 to $2,000 for each violation.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Board of Massage Therapy, American Massage Therapy Association, and IMUAlliance.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Administrative Rules that governed sanitation requirements for massage establishments were repealed in October 2018, resulting in existing massage establishments not being subject to any form of sanitation rules and being allowed to operate under self‑imposed sanitary requirements.  This measure will ensure the safety of the public by granting rulemaking authority to and clarifying enforcement powers of the Board of Massage Therapy.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2878 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

 

 

 

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair