AB 716

This bill ratifies and enters Wisconsin into the Interstate Massage Compact,

which provides for the ability of a massage therapist to become eligible to practice

in other compact states. Significant provisions of the compact include the following:

1. The creation of an Interstate Massage Compact Commission, which includes

the primary administrative officer of the licensure boards or licensing authorities of

each member state, or their designees. The commission has various powers and

duties granted in the compact, including establishing bylaws, promulgating binding

rules for the compact, electing or appointing officers and hiring employees, and

establishing and electing an executive committee. The commission may levy on and

collect an annual assessment from each member state or

impose fees on licensees of

member states to whom it grants a multistate license to cover the cost of the

operations and activities of the commission and its staff.

2. The ability for a massage therapist who is licensed in a home state and

satisfies certain other criteria to obtain a multistate license, which allows a massage

therapist to practice massage therapy in all other compact states (remote states).

The compact specifies a number of requirements in order for a massage therapist to

obtain a multistate license, including holding a massage therapist license in a home

state, having completed at least 625 hours of massage therapy education or the

substantial equivalent, not having certain disqualifying criminal convictions, not

having any encumbrances or restrictions against an occupational or professional

license in the previous two years, and paying any required fees. A massage therapist

practicing in a remote state under a multistate license is subject to all

scope-of-practice laws governing massage therapy services in that state. A remote

state may take actions against a massage therapist's authorization to practice in the

remote state, and if any adverse action is taken by a remote state against a licensee's

authorization to practice, that adverse action applies to all authorizations to practice

in all remote states. If a massage therapist's home state or multistate license is

encumbered, the massage therapist loses the authorization to practice in all remote

states until certain criteria are satisfied.

3. The ability of member states to issue subpoenas that are enforceable in other

states.

4. The creation of a coordinated database and reporting system containing

licensure and disciplinary action information on massage therapists. The compact

requires all home state disciplinary orders that impose adverse actions to be reported

to the commission. A member state must submit a uniform data set to the data

system on all individuals to whom the compact is applicable as required by the rules

of the commission.

5. Provisions regarding resolutions of disputes between member states and

between member and nonmember states, including a process for termination of a