Relating to the criminal and licensing consequences for the commission of certain offenses by massage establishments, massage schools, massage therapists, and massage therapy instructors.
SB 703 (effective September 1, 2025) changes licensing rules for massage professionals in Texas. It makes individuals ineligible for a massage establishment, school, therapist, or instructor license if they’ve been convicted of certain offenses - including sexual assault (Penal Code Chapters 20A, 21, or 43), related attempts, or similar offenses under federal/state law. The bill also requires automatic license revocation for licensed massage therapists or instructors convicted of those offenses or who practice at sexually oriented businesses. This directly affects Texas massage professionals, imposing new criminal conviction barriers to licensure and requiring license suspension for specific misconduct.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Jan 3, 2025
Signed May 21, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
Engrossed
→
Enrolled
·
4 edits
·
May 21, 2025
MODERATE
This bill updates eligibility requirements for massage-related licenses in Texas by specifying criminal offenses that disqualify individuals from obtaining or retaining a license. The changes clarify which specific Penal Code sections and federal offenses trigger ineligibility, and they expand the definition of 'health care services provider' to include massage therapists.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on massage establishments, schools, therapists, and instructors, but the specific offenses that trigger license revocation or denial have been clarified and expanded to include more detailed statutory references.
ELIGIBILITY
Updated Section 455.152 to explicitly list specific Penal Code sections (21.02, 21.09, 21.11, 21.12, 21.15, 21.16, 21.165, 21.18, 22.011, 22.012, 22.021, 25.02, 43.021, 43.03, 43.031, 43.04, 43.041, 43.05, 43.25, 43.26, 43.262) that result in license ineligibility.
Amended Section 455.251(b) to clarify that the commission or executive director must revoke licenses when individuals are convicted of offenses listed in Section 455.152 or practice massage therapy at sexually oriented businesses.
DEFINITION
Added massage therapists to the definition of 'health care services provider' in Penal Code Section 22.011(c), expanding the legal definition to include this profession.
TECHNICAL
Converted bill from draft format to enrolled version with proper formatting, signatures, and certification of passage by both legislative chambers.
Floor votes · House May 7, 2025
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
46
Key actions
14
Committee
9
May 21, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor
executive
May 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed in the House
lower
May 9, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed in the Senate
upper
May 8, 2025
Upper · Passed
House passage reported
upper
May 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
May 7, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (141-0-3)
house
May 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
May 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
Apr 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Committee
Referred to Licensing & Administrative Procedures
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
Mar 11, 2025
Introduced
Received from the Senate
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
Mar 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
Mar 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendments
upper
Feb 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
Feb 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
Left pending in committee
upper
Feb 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to Business & Commerce
upper
Feb 7, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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