Public Act 471 of 2008 was officially recognized by the Secretary of State's office on January 9, 2009. This amends the Public Health Code to provide for the licensure of massage therapists. This bill was effective on January 9, 2009. The regulation of any health profession is intended to ensure the general public that the people who are identified as a specific type of health professional are qualified to practice. When a professional has been working in the health care industry for a number of years without regulation, establishing requirements for licensure is setting the stage for the future of the profession. The passage of legislation requiring regulation of a profession is only the first step. The Governor has now appointed the Board of Massage Therapy, which consists of seven massage therapists and four public members. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, in consultation with the Board, is in the process of developing administrative rules that establish the minimum standards for licensure. The development of administrative rules is a detailed and lengthy process. The rules must identify the standards by which all applications are evaluated. The proposed rules will be available at this website as soon as they become available for review by the administrative agencies prior to the required public hearing.