MASSAGE INDUSTRY: New law helps cities prevent crime

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[h=3]MASSAGE INDUSTRY: New law helps cities prevent crime[/h]

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Massage therapist Kathy Martinez massages Louis Tapia, also a massage therapist, at Massage Heights in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday. The massage was part of a quality check therapists must do every three months. A state law that went into effect Jan. 1 gives cities more power to regulate massage therapy businesses to make sure they are not operating as fronts for prostitution and human trafficking.
STAN LIM, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER




[h=3]ABOUT THE BILL[/h]Highlights of AB 1147, a state law dealing with massage businesses that took effect Jan. 1, include:
• Restores cities' ability to use land use, zoning and operational regulations on massage businesses. It's now easier to shut down parlors involved in prostitution, human trafficking and other crimes, officials say.
• Allows cities to make sure certified massage professionals and registered massage establishments comply with health and safety requirements, keep certain hours, and pay business license fees.
• Changes the makeup of the nonprofit California Massage Therapy Council, which provides voluntary certification of massage professionals who receive training and pass criminal background checks. Its board was reduced from 20 members to 13 and now includes a law enforcement official, a member of an anti-human trafficking organization, a city attorney and a public health official.
• Requires massage therapists seeking state certification to pass an exam and complete 500 hours of education.
• Expands the massage council's ability to discipline those using sexually suggestive advertising of massage services and other prohibited activities.


Inland cities are applauding a new state law they hope will make it harder for massage parlors to operate as fronts for prostitution and other criminal activities.
The law, which took effect Jan. 1, restores local control over massage therapy businesses, officials say.
A change in state law implemented in 2012 took away cities’ power to regulate massage businesses, allowing them to spread to areas in which they previously weren’t allowed.
In Rancho Cucamonga, the number of massage establishments skyrocketed from seven to 42 – a 600 percent spike – in less than three years, officials say. Other Inland cities also saw recent booms.
“It’s a tremendous influx,†Rancho Cucamonga Mayor L. Dennis Michael said. “There was a lack of oversight so they could come in and not have to worry about anything.â€
The new state law returns to cities the authority to control where massage businesses can open, restrict their hours and enact other requirements to ensure they operate within the law.
LAW APPLAUDED
On Foothill Boulevard in Rancho Cucamonga, Xochi Setlich and her husband, John, own Massage Heights, a massage therapy franchise. She said she supports the law, AB 1147.
“I think it would benefit us if they were to crack down on some of the smaller massage businesses that don’t have the same requirements as we have here,†Xochi Setlich said.
The dozen massage therapists who work at her business are licensed professionals who pass criminal background checks and carry their own insurance, she said.
Rancho Cucamonga officials say they’re unaware of any businesses in the city where unlawful acts such as prostitution and human trafficking may be happening.
“I believe the businesses operating currently are legal,†said San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Capt. Anthony Onodera, who serves as the city’s police chief.
The new state law gives the city the ability “to be proactive and get in front of issues that could be problematic down the road,†Onodera said.
The City Council on Dec. 17 passed a 45-day ordinance that took effect Jan. 1. The measure requires new massage businesses and those wanting to expand or move to get a conditional use permit.
The interim ordinance, which can be extended for up to 22 months, gives city staff members time to study the new state law and propose permanent changes to the development code to provide more effective regulation of massage establishments, Associate Planner Jennifer Nakamura said.
“It’s unfortunate that a few bad apples can spoil the bunch,†Nakamura said. “While there are plenty of honest and hard-working operators out there, we need to make sure everybody’s playing fairly and they’re not impacting the lives and well-being of the residents of the city.â€
STRONGER OVERSIGHT
The new legislation replaces a 2008 law that prohibited cities from treating massage establishments differently than other businesses providing professional services.