New Law Ups Training Hours For Massage Therapists

(AP) AUSTIN Massage schools are expecting a surge of new students this summer as aspiring message therapists seek their state licenses before increased training requirements take effect Sept. 1. The new rules call for entry-level massage therapists to have at least 500 hours of training, rather than 300, to get certified. Gov. Rick Perry recently signed a bill outlining the new requirements. Massage school operators said the increased requirements will bring Texas in line with other states. David Lauterstein, co-director of Lauterstein-Conway Massage School in Austin, said the school already offers 500-hour and 750-hour training courses as well as a 300-hour option. "Clearly, it's been the national standard for years and years," Lauterstein said of the 500-hour program. The state "hasn't fully served the students or the public, because Texas has a lot of therapists whose training is just very basic." The increased training will also make massage school more expensive.