SENATE DOCKET, NO. 722        FILED ON: 2/5/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 176

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Cynthia Stone Creem

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to mandate domestic violence and sexual assault awareness education for aestheticians, barbers, cosmetologists, electrologists, hairdressers, manicurists, and massage therapists.

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 722        FILED ON: 2/5/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 176

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 125 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

An Act to mandate domestic violence and sexual assault awareness education for aestheticians, barbers, cosmetologists, electrologists, hairdressers, manicurists, and massage therapists.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 112 is hereby amended by inserting at the end of the first paragraph of Section 87BB the following:

No license will be issued to or renewed for any school unless it offers training of at least one hour in domestic violence and sexual assault awareness and requires its students to either attend a training in person or review a training online.

SECTION 2. Chapter 112 is hereby amended by adding Section 87CC ½:

To obtain a license issued by the Board as an Aesthetician, Barber, Cosmetologist, Electrologist, Hairdresser or Manicurist, or as an Instructor, Assistant Instructor, or Junior Assistant Instructor thereof as applicable, and for any license renewal, the applicant is required to complete, either in person or online, one hour of a free standardized domestic violence and sexual assault awareness training approved by the Board of Cosmetology.

A licensed Aesthetician, Barber, Cosmetologist, Electrologist, Hairdresser or Manicurist, or Instructor, Assistant Instructor, or Junior Assistant Instructor thereof who completes the domestic violence and sexual assault awareness education, or his or her employer, shall not be civilly or criminally liable for acting in good faith or failing to act on information obtained during the course of employment concerning potential domestic violence or sexual assault.

SECTION 3. Chapter 112 is hereby amended by inserting at the end of the second paragraph of Section 87JJ the following:

No license will be issued to or renewed for any post-secondary institution unless it offers training of at least one hour in domestic violence and sexual assault awareness and requires its students to either attend a training in person or review a training online.

SECTION 4. Chapter 112 is hereby amended by adding the following subsection to Section 229:

(d)  To obtain a license issued by the Board as a Massage Therapist or Massage Practitioner, and for any license renewal, the applicant is required to complete, either in person or online, one hour of a free standardized domestic violence and sexual assault awareness training approved by the board of cosmetology.

A licensed Massage Therapist or Massage Practitioner who completes the domestic violence and sexual assault awareness education, or his or her employer, shall not be civilly or criminally liable for acting in good faith or failing to act on information obtained during the course of employment concerning potential domestic violence or sexual assault.

SECTION 5. Chapter 112, Section 233, is hereby amended by inserting after the sentence: “No school or entity may teach massage therapy unless licensed by the Board.” and prior to the sentence: “No person may instruct in a massage school unless he is licensed by the board.” the following:

No license will be issued to or renewed for any school teaching massage therapy unless it offers training of at least one hour in domestic violence and sexual assault awareness and requires its students to either attend a training in person or review a training online.