News Release: Equine Massage Licensing Reform Bill Adds Dogs and Cats

Contact: Adam Weinberg
(402) 452-3737
aweinberg@platteinstitute.org

Equine Massage Licensing Reform Bill Adds Dogs and Cats
Senators Decide Against Additional Regulations Sought by Board
 

LINCOLN, NE – The tone in the Nebraska Legislature toward a bill reducing restrictions on equine massage practice took a more jovial turn today as senators approved amendments to LB596 that would simply exempt the profession from state job licensing and add more four-legged friends to the list of legal, unlicensed massage recipients.  

One amendment, introduced by Sen. Ernie Chambers, added dogs and cats to the list of animals that massage practitioners would be able to provide massage services on without state licensing.

Another, by Sen. John Kuehn, amended the language of LB596 to remove a requirement that practitioners register with the state and acquire a certificate from an accredited training program. This amendment came after senators expressed concerns in the first round of debate that the requirement would create unnecessary red tape, and could potentially result in practitioners facing improper criminal charges for noncompliance.

A complete exemption of equine massage from state job licensing was the original intent of LB596 before the bill was amended to include the registry in response to opposition from the state veterinary board.

A video of the floor debate on these amendments may be found on the Platte Institute Facebook page, courtesy of NET Nebraska:

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The Platte Institute advances policies that remove barriers to growth and opportunity in Nebraska. Learn more at PlatteInstitute.org.