HB197 Laws & Rules Enacted in 2024 to Help "Clean Up" the Florida Massage Therapy Industry

by: Selena Belisle, Founder/Instructor, CE Institute LLC

House Bill 197 aka HB197 was enacted in 2024 to help "clean up" the Florida massage therapy industry.  In order to provide our government and law enforcement agencies the means to more effectively identify persons engaging in human trafficking at massage establishments, the following are now strictly enforced with HB197: 

• Sexual activity in a massage establishment is prohibited. An establishment owner or employee may not engage in or allow any person to engage in sexual activity in the establishment or use the establishment to make arrangements to engage in sexual activity in another location.
• Used or unused condoms are prohibited in a massage establishment.
• If there is an outside window or windows into the massage establishment’s reception area, the outside window or windows must allow for at least 35% light penetration.
• No more than 50% of the outside window(s) may be obstructed with signage, blinds, curtains, or other obstructions so that the public can see inside the establishment’s reception area.
• A sign must be posted on the front window of the establishment that includes the name and license number of the massage establishment and the telephone number that has been provided to the department as part of the licensure of the establishment.
• The window or signage requirement does not apply to a massage establishment within a public lodging establishment as defined by the board, nor to a massage establishment located within a county or municipality where following this requirement would result in other government noncompliance.
• All employees within the massage establishment must be fully clothed, and such clothing must be fully opaque and made of nontransparent material that does not expose the employee’s genitalia. This requirement does not apply to an employee, excluding a massage therapist, of a public lodging establishment, as defined in s. 509.013(4), that is licensed as a clothing-optional establishment and chartered with the American Association for Nude Recreation. 

These are just some of the highlights of Florida's House Bill 197 to require better identification practices amongst massage therapy establishments to help prevent human trafficking within the massage industry.  To learn more rules, laws, human trafficking prevention and more, please visit: https://ceinstitute.com/collections/mandatory