Government Relations


AMTA, NJ Government Relations Update, April 2009

We are excited to report to our members that we recently learned from Molly Slingerland, our lobbyist in Trenton at Princeton Public Affairs Group that Governor Corzine has appointed the new State Massage and Bodywork Therapy Licensing Board.

Below are the names of those individuals appointed to the Board. Three of these are members of our Chapter, Alan Vonderahe, Mark Carangelo and Cynthia Sincropi-Balena. Congratulations to Alan, Mark and Cynthia as we wish you well in this challenging responsibility you have committed yourselves to. We also have had a long standing cooperative relationship with Deborah Overholt who has previously served on the State Certification Board the past several years as has Alan Vonderahe who is the current Chair. Both Alan and Deborah have served since the inception of the Board back in 2003. We look forward to getting to know and work cooperatively as well with the new appointees.

NEW JERSEY BOARD OF MASSAGE AND BODYWORK THERAPY
Appoint Ronald P. Mondello, Esq. (Kinnelon, Morris)
Appoint Deborah K. Zastocki, FACHE (Randolph, Morris)
Appoint Alan G. Vonderahe (Sparta, Sussex)
Appoint Deborah R. Overholt (Mount Laurel, Burlington)
Appoint Christine Gill Rose (Toms River, Ocean)
Appoint Cynthia Sinicropi-Balena LMT, CMT (Belle Mead, Somerset)
Appoint Mark J. Carangelo LMT (East Brunswick, Middlesex)
Appoint Glenn H. Stoll, NCTMB (Ringwood, Passaic)

Please note and this is very important, it will take a considerable amount of time perhaps even up to a year for this body to get organized, establish the new rules and regulations that will govern the Massage and Bodywork Licensing regulation prior to applications being called for. We will inform our members when it is time to begin to seek and file your licensing applications.

There will be ample time for you to review the proposed rules and regulations and to provide input through our Chapter's organized efforts. We will inform you as to the most expedient and sensible way for you to review and provide comment on the rules and regulations so that your comments and concerns will be heard.
 
Our Chapter has a Government Relations Committee in place and we are represented by our lobbyist PPAG in Trenton and also by Sally Hacking our GR Consultant who will assist us during this important phase.

Feel free to call on me if you have any questions or concerns. My contact info is Charlie Behm, my email address is behms@aol.com and my phone # is 973.656.0210.

Submitted by, Charlie Behm, Government Relations Committee Chair

 

 

We have a new Licensing Law (A4455) and here is the link for you to become more familiar with this law. http://www.amtanj.org/archive/Chapter%20337%20license%20law.pdf

MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST

1) Because there is a new licensure law, do you have to do anything NOW regarding applying for a State License?
The answer is NO, as it will still take time for a Board to be appointed and to develop the rules and regulations that will apply. Then once that is all done, the new licensure application process can and will begin.

2) When it is time to apply for State Licensure, how will I qualify?
You will need to have attended a 500 hour approved education program or passed the National Certification Exam. If you have not met those requirements you can be grandfathered in if you have had a minimum 200 hours of approved education and have been working in the profession full time for 2 years or part time for 5 years. The grandfathering period will be for a 360 day time frame in which you can apply under that provision. After which time, to become State Licensed, you will need to meet the 500 hour education requirement or pass the NCTMB exam. Therefore you should start preparing yourself for whatever you need to meet the requirements, so you are ready when the time comes to begin making application for mandatory State Licensure.

3) Should I apply for the present voluntary State Certification?
There will be a provision for currently state certified practitioners to be recognized through the new licensure process. Therefore you can begin the preparation process now if you so choose, or you can wait until the new licensure application begins. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations of the current Voluntary State Certification Act. We understand that the current State Certification Rule will be the foundation for the new licensure requirements, and AMTA NJ Chapter will have the opportunity to provide feedback and or input to our new state board through our AMTA-GR Committee members and our NJ Coalition outreach.
If you presently are NJ State Certified, you should maintain your Certification and not allow it to lapse, as you would then be required to re-apply for the new State Licensure when that begins.

Here is the link of the rules and regulations of the current voluntary State Certification Act.
http://www.amtanj.org/archive/NJBoardofNursingRegulations[1].doc

Also, here is the link to apply to become State Certified if you are interested in doing so at this time.
http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/massage/massappl.pdf

The phone number of the State Examining Committee Office responsible for the application process is (973) 504-6430

4) Our contact information is: governmentrelations@amtanj.org and the AMTA NJ Chapter office phone number is (973) 376-5151.

We will keep you informed of any information that pertains to all of the above issues, and when you are required to do anything!