Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 17 - PROFESSIONS, OCCUPATIONS, AND BUSINESSES (§§ 17-1-101 — 17-107-311) › Subtitle 3 - MEDICAL PROFESSIONS (§§ 17-80-101 — 17-107-311) › Chapter 86 - MASSAGE THERAPISTS (§§ 17-86-101 — 17-86-314) › Subchapter 3 - REGISTRATION (§§ 17-86-301 — 17-86-314) › Section 17-86-306 - Massage therapy school

(a)
A person shall not establish, operate, or maintain a massage therapy school without first having obtained a certificate of massage therapy school licensure issued by the Department of Health.
(b)
A massage therapy school shall not be approved by the department or granted a certificate of licensure until the appropriate application and inspection forms as prescribed by the department have been completed and approved and the licensure fee has been paid.
(c)
(1)
Inspection of the school premises shall be made by the department, to include without limitation proof of required forms completed and returned to the department with approval or recommendations.
(2)
Should the school facilities not pass the first inspection and, after recommendations, failures are corrected, a second inspection will be made within thirty (30) days to determine the school's eligibility.
(d)
(1)
A school shall require a physical examination by a medical doctor documenting that the student poses no health risk to give and receive massage.
(2)
The school shall be required to maintain proof of the examination and furnish additional information and documents as may be required by the department or its appointee during the inspection.
(e)
The department may certify the school and provide for licensure thereof if the school follows a curriculum consisting of not fewer than five hundred (500) hours of in-classroom instruction over a term of not fewer than four (4) months consisting of the following subjects:
(1)
One hundred seventy-five (175) hours of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and contraindications to massage therapy;
(2)
Two hundred twenty-five (225) hours of technique;
(3)
Twenty-five (25) hours of hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, and heliotherapy;
(4)
Twenty-five (25) hours of hygiene and infection control;
(5)
Twenty-five (25) hours of massage therapy law, business management, and professional ethics; and
(6)
Twenty-five (25) hours of related subjects as approved by the department.
(f)
(1)
The fee for establishing a school shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).
(2)
The initial inspection fee for each school shall not exceed one hundred dollars ($100).
(3)
The annual renewal and inspection fee for each school shall not exceed one hundred dollars ($100).
(g)
The curriculum established in subsection (e) of this section shall be followed for all massage therapy programs.
(h)
(1)
The State Board of Health shall promulgate rules setting a standard educational curriculum for schools of massage.
(2)
The standard educational curriculum shall distinguish between secondary and postsecondary educational requirements for the schools of massage.
Amended by Act 2015, No. 1020,§ 17, eff. 10/1/2015.
Amended by Act 2015, No. 1156,§ 13, eff. 7/22/2015.
Amended by Act 2015, No. 1020,§ 18, eff. 4/2/2015.
Amended by Act 2013, No. 1445,§ 13, eff. 8/16/2013.
Amended by Act 2013, No. 550,§ 1, eff. 8/16/2013.
Acts 1981, No. 875, § 8; A.S.A. 1947, § 72-1208; Acts 1991, No. 1217, § 1; 1993, No. 714, § 9; 1997, No. 840, § 12; 1999, No. 1461, § 14; 2009, No. 1305, § 8.