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Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama Renames Massage Board to Advisory Council and Transfers Oversight to Public Health Department
Last action · March 3, 2026: EnactedSponsor: Chris Elliott
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What This Bill Does
Alabama extends the existence of the state massage licensing board until October 1, 2027, renames it as the Alabama Massage Therapy Advisory Council, and transfers all regulatory authority over massage therapists, schools, and establishments to the Alabama Department of Public Health, effective October 1, 2026.
Licensed massage therapists and business owners must navigate new oversight by public health officials, updated criminal background check mandates, and stricter facility inspection rules administered by the state.
- The Alabama Sunset Law provides for the periodic review of state agencies and boards to determine if they should be continued, modified, or terminated. context
- The Alabama Department of Public Health is the principal state agency responsible for health-related regulation and administration. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Massage therapists
Massage therapists must obtain licenses from and submit background checks to the Alabama Department of Public Health, carry at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance, and adhere to updated practice standards.
Massage therapy establishments
Establishments must hold a valid license issued by the department, pass initial physical inspections, employ only licensed therapists, and face potential emergency closure orders for violations.
Alabama Department of Public Health
The department assumes full regulatory authority over massage therapy licensing, school approvals, establishment inspections, and disciplinary actions.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the transfer of authority take effect?
Who will regulate massage therapists after the change?
What insurance coverage is required for practitioners and establishments?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Became law.
Procedural history
21 actions- Mar 3, 2026SenateEnrolledEnacted
- Feb 24, 2026HouseSignature Requested
- Feb 24, 2026SenateEnrolledDelivered to Governor
- Feb 20, 2026SenateEnrolled
- Feb 19, 2026SenateReady to Enroll
- Feb 19, 2026SenateReady to Enroll
Show 15 earlier actions
- Feb 19, 2026HouseFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 501
- Feb 19, 2026HouseThird Reading in Second House
- Feb 5, 2026HouseRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Feb 4, 2026HouseCommitteeReported Out of Committee Second House
- Jan 29, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in Second House
- Jan 29, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Boards, Agencies and Commissions
- Jan 28, 2026SenateEngrossed
- Jan 27, 2026SenateFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 151
- Jan 27, 2026SenateElliott motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 150
- Jan 27, 2026SenateElliott 1st Substitute Offered
- Jan 27, 2026SenateThird Reading in House of Origin
- Jan 14, 2026SenateRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Jan 14, 2026SenateCommitteeReported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Jan 13, 2026SenateCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Jan 13, 2026SenateIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Transfer of Independent Board to Public Health
The legislation shifts oversight of an independent licensing board directly into a cabinet-level public health department.
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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