CHAPTER 460
Massage therapy and bodywork
460.02 Certificate required.
460.04 Duties of department.
460.05 Certification of massage therapists or bodyworkers.
460.07 Display of certificate; expiration and renewal.
460.09 Reciprocal certificate.
460.10 Continuing education.
460.11 Practice requirements.
460.12 Duty to make reports.
460.14 Disciplinary proceedings and actions.
Ch. 460 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also chs.
RL 90,
91,
92,
93, and
94, Wis. adm. code.
460.01
460.01
Definitions. In this chapter:
460.01(1)
(1) "Certificate holder" means a person granted a certificate under this chapter.
460.01(2)
(2) "Council" means the massage therapy and bodywork council.
460.01(3)
(3) "Manual action" includes holding, positioning, rocking, kneading, compressing, decompressing, gliding, or percussing the soft tissue of the human body or applying a passive range of motion to the human body.
460.01(4)
(4) "Massage therapy or bodywork" means the science and healing art that uses manual actions to palpate and manipulate the soft tissue of the human body, in order to improve circulation, reduce tension, relieve soft tissue pain, or increase flexibility, and includes determining whether massage therapy or bodywork is appropriate or contraindicated, or whether a referral to another health care practitioner is appropriate. "Massage therapy or bodywork" does not include making a medical or chiropractic diagnosis.
460.01 History
History: 2001 a. 74.
460.02
460.02
Certificate required. Except as provided in
s. 460.03, no person may designate himself or herself as a massage therapist or bodyworker, or use or assume the title "massage therapist and bodyworker" or "massage therapist" or "bodyworker" or any title that includes "massage therapist" or "bodyworker," or append to the person's name the letters "M.T.," "C.M.T.," "B.W.," or "C.B.W.," or use any other title or designation that represents or may tend to represent that he or she is certified under this chapter, unless the person is certified under this chapter.
460.02 History
History: 2001 a. 74.
460.03
460.03
Applicability. A certificate under this chapter is not required for any of the following:
460.03(1)
(1) A person holding a license, permit, registration, or certification granted by this state or the federal government who engages in a practice of massage therapy or bodywork within the scope of his or her license, permit, registration, or certification and who does not imply that he or she is certified under this chapter.
460.03(2)
(2) A person who is authorized to practice massage therapy or bodywork in another state or country and is providing a consultation to or demonstration with a certificate holder.
460.03 History
History: 2001 a. 74.
460.03 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also chs.
RL 90,
91,
92,
93, and
94, Wis. adm. code.
460.04
460.04
Duties of department. 460.04(1)
(1) The department shall assign a unique certificate number to each person certified under this chapter.
460.04(2)
(2) The department shall promulgate rules that establish all of the following:
460.04(2)(a)
(a) Standards that govern the professional conduct of certificate holders in practicing massage therapy or bodywork. The standards shall prohibit a certificate holder from having sexual contact or sexual intercourse with a client.
460.04(2)(b)
(b) Criteria for approving a training program for purposes of
s. 460.05 (1) (e) 1. Rules promulgated under this paragraph shall require the training program to consist of at least 600 classroom hours.
460.04(2)(c)
(c) Requirements and procedures for obtaining the informed consent of a client under
s. 460.11 (1) and for making a report required under
s. 460.12 (1).
460.04(3)
(3) In addition to any other procedure under
ch. 227 relating to the promulgation of rules, when promulgating a rule under this chapter, other than an emergency rule under
s. 227.24, the department shall do all of the following:
460.04(3)(a)
(a) Submit the proposed rule to the massage therapy and bodywork council at least 60 days before the proposed rule is submitted to the legislative council staff under
s. 227.15 (1).
460.04(3)(b)
(b) Consider any comments on a proposed rule made by the council, if the council submits the comments to the department within 30 days after a public hearing on the proposed rule under
s. 227.18 or, if no hearing is held, within 30 days after the proposed rule is published under
s. 227.16 (2) (e).
460.04(3)(c)
(c) Include, in the report submitted to the legislature under
s. 227.19 (2), any comments on the proposed rule submitted by the council under
par. (b) and the department's responses to those comments.
460.04(4)
(4) When promulgating emergency rules under
s. 227.24, the department shall provide a copy of the rules to the council prior to publication of the rules in the official state newspaper.
460.04 History
History: 2001 a. 74.
460.04 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also chs.
RL 90,
91,
92,
93, and
94, Wis. adm. code.
460.05
460.05
Certification of massage therapists or bodyworkers. 460.05(1)(1) The department shall grant a certificate as a massage therapist or bodyworker to a person who satisfies all of the following:
460.05(1)(b)
(b) The person has graduated from high school or attained high school graduation equivalency as determined by the department of public instruction under
s. 115.29 (4).
460.05(1)(c)
(c) The person submits an application for the certificate to the department on a form provided by the department.
460.05(1)(e)
(e) Except as provided in
sub. (2), the person submits evidence satisfactory to the department that he or she has done all of the following:
460.05(1)(e)1.
1. Graduated from a school of massage therapy or bodywork approved by the educational approval board under
s. 38.50 or completed a training program approved by the department under the rules promulgated under
s. 460.04 (2) (b).
460.05(1)(e)2.
2. Completed at least 6 classroom hours in the laws of this state and rules of the department relating to the practice of massage therapy or bodywork in a course of instruction approved by the department.
460.05(1)(g)
(g) The person submits evidence satisfactory to the department that he or she has in effect malpractice liability insurance coverage in an amount that is not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 for all occurrences in one year.
460.05(1)(h)
(h) The person has not been convicted of any of the following:
460.05(1)(h)1.
1. An offense under
s. 940.22,
940.225,
944.15,
944.17,
944.30,
944.31,
944.32,
944.33,
944.34,
948.02,
948.025,
948.08,
948.085,
948.09,
948.095, or
948.10.
460.05(1)(h)2.
2. An offense under federal law or a law of any other state that is comparable to an offense under
subd. 1.
460.05(2)
(2) The department may waive a requirement specified in
sub. (1) (e) if a person establishes, to the satisfaction of the department, that he or she has education, training, or other experience that is substantially equivalent to the requirement.
460.05(3)
(3) The department shall grant a certificate as a massage therapist or bodyworker to a person who satisfies the requirements specified in
sub. (1) (a) to
(d),
(g), and
(h) and who includes with the application specified in
sub. (1) (c) all of the following:
460.05(3)(a)
(a) Evidence satisfactory to the department that, during the 2-year period after March 1, 2003, the person was actively engaged in the practice of massage therapy or bodywork.
460.05(3)(b)
(b) An attestation that the person only recently became aware of the requirements of this chapter.
460.05 History
History: 2001 a. 74;
2005 a. 22,
25,
254,
277.
460.06
460.06
Examinations. The department may not grant a certificate under this chapter unless the applicant passes the national certification examination for therapeutic massage and bodywork that is offered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork or an examination relating to the practice of massage therapy or bodywork that is administered by a national board that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or a substantially equivalent examination approved by the department. The department shall promulgate rules that also require an applicant to pass an examination on state laws and administrative rules governing massage therapy or bodywork.
460.06 History
History: 2001 a. 74 s.
16.
460.07
460.07
Display of certificate; expiration and renewal. 460.07(1)(1) Each person who is certified under this chapter shall conspicuously display the certificate in the place of business where he or she practices massage therapy or bodywork so that the certificate can easily be seen and read.
460.07(2)
(2) The renewal dates for certificates granted under this chapter are specified under
s. 440.08 (2) (a). Renewal applications shall be submitted to the department on a form provided by the department and shall include all of the following:
460.07(2)(b)
(b) If applicable, proof of completion of continuing education under
s. 460.10.
460.07(2)(c)
(c) Evidence satisfactory to the department that the applicant has in effect malpractice liability insurance coverage in an amount that is not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 for all occurrences in one year.
460.07 History
History: 2001 a. 74.
460.09
460.09
Reciprocal certificate. Upon application and payment of the fee specified in
s. 440.05 (2), the department shall grant a massage therapist or bodyworker certificate to a person who holds a similar certificate in another state or territory of the United States or another country if the department determines that the requirements for receiving the certificate in the other state, territory, or country are substantially equivalent to the requirements under
s. 460.05.
460.09 History
History: 2001 a. 74.
460.10
460.10
Continuing education. The department may promulgate rules establishing requirements and procedures for a certificate holder to complete continuing education programs or courses of study to qualify for renewal of his or her certificate. The department may waive all or part of any requirement established in rules promulgated under this section if it determines that prolonged illness, disability, or other exceptional circumstances have prevented a certificate holder from completing the requirement.
460.10 History
History: 2001 a. 74.
460.11
460.11
Practice requirements. 460.11(1)
(1) A certificate holder may not practice massage therapy or bodywork on a client unless the certificate holder first obtains the informed consent of the client and has informed the client that he or she may withdraw the consent at any time.
