The Vermont Initiative for Massage Standards has created a draft bill that suggests what regulation would look like. If it is defined by Vermont statute, this authority would include the following elements:
§ Office of professional regulation
a. The director shall:
1. Provide general information to applicants for licensure as massage therapists.
2. Explain appeal procedures to licensed massage therapists and applicants, and complaint procedures to the public.
3. Administer fees as established by law.
4. Receive applications for licensure, administer examinations, provide licenses to applicants qualified under this chapter, renew, revoke and reinstate licenses as ordered by an administrative law officer.
5. Refer all disciplinary matters to an administrative law officer.
b. The director may adopt rules necessary to perform his or her duties under this section.
§ Advisor appointees
a. The Secretary of State shall appoint two massage therapists as advisors in matters relating to massage therapy.
b. The director shall seek the advice of the massage therapist advisors in carrying out provisions of this chapter.
Larry Novins, the legal counsel for the Office of Professional Regulation, said the OPR considered three tiers of possible regulation and would make its recommendations according to those.
The VIMS task force recommended “licensure [as] the least restrictive level of regulation for massage therapy to afford the highest public protection for the citizens of Vermont.”