1. 1. A person desiring a license to practice massage therapy shall be at least eighteen years of age, shall pay the appropriate required application fee, and shall submit satisfactory evidence to the board of meeting at least one of the following requirements:

   1. (1) Has passed a statistically valid examination on therapeutic massage and body work which is approved by the board, prior to August 28, 1999, and applies for such license by December 31, 2000; or
   2. (2) Completing massage therapy studies consisting of at least five hundred hours of supervised instruction and subsequently passing an examination approved by the board. The examination may consist of school examinations. The course of instruction shall be approved by the board. The five hundred hours shall consist of three hundred hours dedicated to massage theory and practice techniques, one hundred hours dedicated to the study of anatomy and physiology, fifty hours dedicated to business practice, professional ethics, hygiene and massage law in the state of Missouri, and fifty hours dedicated to ancillary therapies, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid; or
   3. (3) Has completed five hundred hours in an apprenticeship with a certified mentor and has successfully passed an examination approved by the board; or
   4. (4) Has been licensed or registered as a massage therapist in another state, territory or commonwealth or the District of Columbia, which maintains standards of practice and licensure which substantially conform to the requirements in force in this state;
   5. (5) Has been engaged in the practice of massage therapy for at least ten years prior to August 28, 1999, and applies for such license by December 31, 2000; or
   6. (6) Has been in the practice of massage therapy for at least three years prior to August 28, 1999, has completed at least one hundred hours of formal training in massage approved by the board and applies for such license by December 31, 2000.
2. 2. A person who has practiced less than three years or has less than one hundred hours of training may request a waiver of the requirements of subsection 1 of this section and apply for a temporary two-year license which shall not be renewable. By the end of such two-year period, such person shall complete at least one hundred additional hours of formal training, including at least twenty-five hours in anatomy and physiology, in a school approved by the board. Such person shall have until December 31, 2000, to apply for a temporary license pursuant to this subsection.

3. 3. Each license issued pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be valid for two years and shall expire on its renewal date. The board shall renew any license upon:

   1. (1) Application for renewal;
   2. (2) Proof that the therapist has completed twelve hours of continuing education; and
   3. (3) Payment of the appropriate renewal fee.
4. 4. An applicant who possesses the qualifications specified in subsection 2 of this section to take the examination approved by the board may be granted a provisional license to engage in the practice of massage therapy until the date of the next examination, and thereafter until the results of the examination are known.
5. 5. As determined by the board, students making substantial progress toward completion of their training in an approved curriculum shall be granted a student license for the purpose of practicing massage therapy on the public while under the supervision of a massage therapy instructor.
6. 6. A provisional license may, at the discretion of the board, be renewed once, and a student license may be renewed until the student completes such student's training.

7. 7. The following practitioners are exempt from the provisions of this section upon filing written proof with the board that they meet one or more of the following:

   1. (1) Persons who act under a Missouri state license, registration, or certification and perform soft tissue manipulation within their scope of practice;
   2. (2) Persons who restrict their manipulation of the soft tissues of the human body to the hands, feet or ears;
   3. (3) Persons who use touch and words to deepen awareness of existing patterns of movement in the human body as well as to suggest new possibilities of movement;
   4. (4) Persons who manipulate the human body above the neck, below the elbow, and below the knee and do not disrobe the client in performing such manipulation.

(L. 1998 H.B. 1601, et al., A.L. 1999 H.B. 343 merged with S.B. 362)