Healthcare (Licensing)

HB 122, the North Carolina Healing Arts Act, would establish a new North Carolina Healing Arts Commission to regulate specific complementary medicine professions. It directly affects reflexologists and music therapists by requiring them to obtain state licenses to practice, ensuring they meet standards for public safety and professional competence. The bill creates the Commission to develop licensing rules, issue and enforce licenses, handle disciplinary actions, and set fees - all funded by practitioner fees rather than state funds. This legislation aims to protect consumers by standardizing qualifications for these healing arts professions while creating a formal regulatory structure.

HB 693 establishes the "Interstate Massage Compact" to create a multistate licensing pathway for massage therapists across participating states. It directly affects licensed massage therapists seeking to practice in multiple states and the public receiving those services. Key mechanisms include creating an Interstate Commission to administer the compact, enabling therapists to hold a single "multistate license" valid in all member states, requiring background checks and continuing competence, and allowing states to share disciplinary information and hold licensees accountable. The compact aims to improve public access to safe massage therapy while reducing regulatory burdens for therapists, particularly aiding military members and their spouses relocating between states.