SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwire - March 24, 2011) - The California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) would like to respond to confusion surrounding the 2009 state law -- now known as California Business and Professions Code Section 4600 et seq., or simply B&P 4600 -- regarding massage therapist certification in California and its impact on massage parlors in the City of Los Angeles.
The state massage law created CAMTC to protect the public by implementing a fair, rigorous and effective statewide certification process to protect consumers against illegitimate practitioners. Only highly competent and credible massage professionals who meet strict educational standards and pass a rigorous vetting process that includes FBI and Department of Justice background checks are granted certification. B&P 4600 addresses only the certification of individual massage professionals in California -- it does not regulate or certify massage establishments in the state.
The CAMTC certification process was created with the intent to help local governments ensure that massage therapy is not used as a subterfuge to violate the penal code. A growing number of California cities and counties, such as Glendale, Ventura, Huntington Beach and San Diego County, have changed their ordinances to require CAMTC certification in order to eradicate illicit activity, but the City of L.A. has not done so.
The state massage law does not prohibit local municipalities from enacting ordinances regarding massage establishments. In fact, the law is intended to work in conjunction with local oversight of massage establishments, as is happening successfully in many cities such as Pasadena. CAMTC recognizes that the L.A. Police Department has full jurisdiction over massage facilities in the City of L.A. and supports and cooperates with local government efforts to prohibit the existence of illicit massage parlors.
To find more information about CAMTC and statewide massage professional certification, visit www.camtc.org.