S 7496: Removes references to the terms "masseur" and "masseuse".

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7496 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE April 17, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. WEBB -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to removing references to "masseur" and "masseuse" The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 7802 of the education law, as amended by chapter 2 230 of the laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 7802. Practice of massage therapy and use of title ["masseur", 4 "masseuse" or] "massage therapist" or the term "massage" or "massage 5 therapy". Only a person licensed or authorized pursuant to this chapter 6 shall practice massage therapy and only a person licensed under this 7 article shall use the title ["masseur", "masseuse" or] "massage thera- 8 pist". No person, firm, partnership or corporation claiming to be 9 engaged in the practice of massage or massage therapy shall in any 10 manner describe, advertise, or place any advertisement with the follow- 11 ing language, including but not limited to, "massage therapy," "bodywork 12 therapy," "massage therapist," "bodywork therapist," "massage," "mass- 13 eur," "masseuse," "licensed massage therapist," or the acronym "LMT" for 14 services as defined in section seventy-eight hundred one of this article 15 unless such services are performed by a person licensed or authorized 16 pursuant to this chapter. 17 § 2. The opening paragraph of section 7804 of the education law, as 18 amended by chapter 230 of the laws of 1997, is amended to read as 19 follows: 20 To qualify for a license as a massage therapist, [masseur or 21 masseuse,] an applicant shall fulfill the following requirements: 22 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 7806 of the education law, as amended 23 by chapter 230 of the laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows: 24 1. The department may issue a limited permit to practice massage ther- 25 apy as a licensed massage therapist[, masseur or masseuse] to a person EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD06843-01-5 
 S. 7496 2 1 who has not previously held such a permit and who fulfills all except 2 the examination and citizenship requirements for a license, provided 3 however that a permit shall not be issued to a person who has failed the 4 state licensing examination. 5 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.