# Alabama SB253: Massage Therapy Licensing Board temporarily under Board of Nursing; authorize Executive Director of the Board of Nursing, or designee to perform certain functions; define and provide for emergency order; clarify status of practice with a temporary permit; provide for annual meeting; require a majority vote to discipline licensee; provide further for the qualifications for licensing and the contents of an application; outcall massage therapy services and inspections of massage therapy establishments; to authorize the board, by rule, to establish and collect reasonable fees; to provide further for investigations, discipline, and fingerprinting of licensees and applicants for licensing; and to provide further for massage therapy schools. Alabama SB253, Massage Therapy Licensing Board temporarily under Board of Nursing; authorize Executive Director of the Board of Nursing, or designee to perform certain functions; define and provide for emergency order; clarify status of practice with a temporary permit; provide for annual meeting; require a majority vote to discipline licensee; provide further for the qualifications for licensing and the contents of an application; outcall massage therapy services and inspections of massage therapy establishments; to authorize the board, by rule, to establish and collect reasonable fees; to provide further for investigations, discipline, and fingerprinting of licensees and applicants for licensing; and to provide further for massage therapy schools., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Garlan Gudger (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-05-14 (Enacted); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB253-2025rs - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama SB253 - State: Alabama - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Massage Therapy Licensing Board temporarily under Board of Nursing; authorize Executive Director of the Board of Nursing, or designee to perform certain functions; define and provide for emergency order; clarify status of practice with a temporary permit; provide for annual meeting; require a majority vote to discipline licensee; provide further for the qualifications for licensing and the contents of an application; outcall massage therapy services and inspections of massage therapy establishments; to authorize the board, by rule, to establish and collect reasonable fees; to provide further for investigations, discipline, and fingerprinting of licensees and applicants for licensing; and to provide further for massage therapy schools. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-18 - Last action: 2025-05-14, Enacted - Sponsor: Garlan Gudger (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Occupational Licensing Boards - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (160 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 14 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Nursing board temporarily oversees massage licensing: benefit, low. Beginning June 1, 2024, Alabama’s Board of Nursing temporarily handles massage licensing powers. Its executive officer or a designee performs the massage board director’s duties. These duties must transfer to the reconstituted Massage Therapy Licensing Board by October 1, 2026. The law’s general ef… - Sex offenses permanently end massage licenses: cost, high. Beginning June 1, 2025, trafficking, prostitution, or another sexual offense requires permanent loss of a therapist’s license. This applies after a conviction or no-contest plea. An establishment permanently loses its license when someone there receives a conviction or no-contest plea for prostitut… - Massage workers must report suspected violations: cost, medium. Beginning June 1, 2025, people governed by the massage law must report reasonably suspected violations by another massage therapist. Written notice to the board is due within 30 calendar days after discovering the activity. Failure to report can bring a fine of up to $10,000 or license discipline,… - Board sets massage fees and insurance rules: cost, medium. The board can set and collect reasonable licensing and related fees by rule, replacing the law’s listed fee schedule. The law does not set the new amounts or establish whether fees rise or fall. The board can also require therapists, establishments, and schools to carry professional and general lia… - Massage businesses face location and inspection rules: cost, medium. Massage services, including visits to clients, must operate at or through licensed establishments unless a legal exemption applies. Establishment applicants must own, lease, or legally possess the physical location. Businesses must report every therapist working at or through them and designate one… - Unlicensed massage providers face substantial fines: cost, medium. Beginning June 1, 2025, unlicensed massage practice or establishment operation can bring an administrative fine of up to $10,000. The board can order providers to stop and ask a county circuit court to enforce the order and collect fines. It can also seek court orders stopping violations of the mas… - Massage schools face approval and renewal rules: cost, low. The board can set school standards, approve curricula, and evaluate massage training programs. Beginning June 1, 2025, schools must meet board approval standards and submit an application and registration fee. Every two years, renewal requires a form, fee, current curriculum, and active instructor… - Massage providers face immediate emergency shutdowns: mixed, high. The board can immediately suspend a license without a prior hearing when public safety faces an immediate risk. Practice must stop pending a formal hearing. Beginning June 1, 2025, the executive director can also close establishments facing an immediate public-safety risk, without a prior hearing.… - Massage discipline includes hearings and majority votes: mixed, medium. The board must investigate suspected violations, and the executive director must arrange investigations of complaints against applicants and licensees. Investigators can use subpoenas, compel witnesses, administer oaths, and pursue prosecution. With probable cause, the board can start proceedings t… - Massage applicants face new qualification rules: mixed, low. Board rules now set massage course content and training hours, replacing the law’s fixed 650-hour curriculum. The board can also set additional license requirements. It can accept a qualifying massage exam administered by another state’s regulator. Applications remain incomplete until all required… - Massage licensing rules include specific exemptions: mixed, low. Paid massage services to the general public require a license, including methods using devices that mimic or enhance human hands. People practicing under board-issued temporary permits are exempt from this chapter while using those permits. A separate exemption covers acts delegated and supervised… - Massage workers pay for background checks: mixed, low. Beginning June 1, 2025, massage applicants and licensees must submit fingerprints and pay fingerprinting and background-check costs. The board can include these charges in licensing costs or bill separately; no amount is set. It can request state and national checks on a rule-based schedule, includ… - Moving massage businesses may avoid license fees: mixed, low. The board can waive a new establishment license fee when a massage business moves without changing its name or ownership. The waiver requires board approval of the required documents and is not automatic. The new location must pass inspection before massage services begin. - Massage ads must show license numbers: mixed, low. Beginning June 1, 2025, massage therapists and establishments must include their applicable license numbers in advertisements. People and businesses without a specified professional or establishment license cannot advertise services using “massage” or “bodywork.” The board’s annual therapist roster… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Garlan Gudger (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Chris Elliott (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-05-06 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1166 | pass | 100 | 0 | 1 | | 2025-04-24 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 831 | pass | 30 | 0 | | | 2025-04-24 | Senate | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 30 | 0 | | ## Actions (16) - 2025-05-14: Enacted (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1166 (House) - 2025-05-06: Ready to Enroll (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Delivered to Governor (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Enrolled (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Signature Requested (House) - 2025-04-29: Reported Out of Committee Second House (House) - 2025-04-29: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2025-04-24: Third Reading in House of Origin (Senate) - 2025-04-24: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 831 (Senate) - 2025-04-24: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Boards, Agencies and Commissions (House) - 2025-04-24: Pending Committee Action in Second House (House) - 2025-04-03: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Senate) - 2025-03-18: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on County and Municipal Government (Senate) - 2025-03-18: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB253-int.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB253-enr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB52: Income Taxes; to make technical changes to the funding provisions of the CHOOSE Act credits and increase funding, and to extend the sunset date for deductions… (enacted) - SB331: Barbour County, compensation of the judge of probate further provided for (enacted) - SB102: Medicaid; providing presumptive eligibility to pregnant women (enacted) - HB445: Cannabinoids found in hemp; licensure and regulation of sale of consumable cannabinoid products by Alcoholic Beverage Control Board imposed (enacted) - HB357: Tobacco products, heated tobacco product definition and tax provided for (enacted) - HB349: Russell County; sheriff, salary further provided (enacted) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB253-int.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB253-enr.pdf) ## Related - [HB52: Income Taxes; to make technical changes to the funding provisions of the CHOOSE…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB52-2025rs) - [SB331: Barbour County, compensation of the judge of probate further provided for](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB331-2025rs) - [SB102: Medicaid; providing presumptive eligibility to pregnant women](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB102-2025rs) - [HB445: Cannabinoids found in hemp; licensure and regulation of sale of consumable cann…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB445-2025rs) - [HB357: Tobacco products, heated tobacco product definition and tax provided for](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB357-2025rs) - [HB349: Russell County; sheriff, salary further provided](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB349-2025rs) - [Alabama bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama/bills) - [Alabama state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB253-2025rs (as of 2026-10-16).