AB716: Bill Text

AB716,,208 (c) A home state shall retain authority to complete any pending investigations of a licensee practicing under a multistate license who changes their home state during the course of such an investigation. The licensing authority shall also be empowered to report the results of such an investigation to the commission through the data system as described herein.

AB716,,209 (d) Any member state may investigate actual or alleged violations of the scope of practice laws in any other member state for a massage therapist who holds a multistate license.

AB716,,210 (e) A remote state shall have the authority to:

AB716,,211 1. Take adverse actions against a licensee’s authorization to practice;

AB716,,212 2. Issue cease and desist orders or impose an encumbrance on a licensee’s authorization to practice in that state.

AB716,,213 3. Issue subpoenas for both hearings and investigations that require the attendance and testimony of witnesses, as well as the production of evidence. Subpoenas issued by a licensing authority in a member state for the attendance and testimony of witnesses or the production of evidence from another member state shall be enforced in the latter state by any court of competent jurisdiction, according to the practice and procedure of that court applicable to subpoenas issued in proceedings before it. The issuing licensing authority shall pay any witness fees, travel expenses, mileage, and other fees required by the service statutes of the state in which the witnesses or evidence are located.

AB716,,214 4. If otherwise permitted by state law, recover from the affected licensee the costs of investigations and disposition of cases resulting from any adverse action taken against that licensee.

AB716,,215 5. Take adverse action against the licensee’s authorization to practice in that state based on the factual findings of another member state.

AB716,,216 (f) If an adverse action is taken by the home state against a licensee’s multistate license or single-state license to practice in the home state, the licensee’s authorization to practice in all other member states shall be deactivated until all encumbrances have been removed from such license. All home state disciplinary orders that impose an adverse action against a licensee shall include a statement that the massage therapist’s authorization to practice is deactivated in all member states during the pendency of the order.

AB716,,217 (g) If adverse action is taken by a remote state against a licensee’s authorization to practice, that adverse action applies to all authorizations to practice in all remote states. A licensee whose authorization to practice in a remote state is removed for a specified period of time is not eligible to apply for a new multistate license in any other state until the specific time for removal of the authorization to practice has passed and all encumbrance requirements are satisfied.

AB716,,218 (h) Nothing in this compact shall override a member state’s authority to accept a licensee’s participation in an alternative program in lieu of adverse action. A licensee’s multistate license shall be suspended for the duration of the licensee’s participation in any alternative program.

AB716,,219 (i) Joint investigations. 1. In addition to the authority granted to a member state by its respective scope of practice laws or other applicable state law, a member state may participate with other member states in joint investigations of licensees.

AB716,,220 2. Member states shall share any investigative, litigation, or compliance materials in furtherance of any joint or individual investigation initiated under the compact.

AB716,,221 (7) Article 7 - active military member and their spouses. Active military member, or their spouses, shall designate a home state where the individual has a current license to practice massage therapy in good standing. The individual may retain their home state designation during any period of service when that individual or their spouse is on active duty assignment.

AB716,,222 (8) Article 8 - establishment and operation of Interstate Massage Compact Commission. (a) The compact member states hereby create and establish a joint government agency whose membership consists of all member states that have enacted the compact known as the Interstate Massage Compact Commission. The commission is an instrumentality of the compact states acting jointly and not an instrumentality of any one State. The commission shall come into existence on or after the effective date of the compact as set forth in sub. (12).

AB716,,223 (b) Membership, voting, and meetings. 1. Each member state shall have and be limited to one (1) delegate selected by that member state’s state licensing authority.

AB716,,224 2. The delegate shall be the primary administrative officer of the state licensing authority or their designee.

AB716,,225 3. The commission shall by rule or bylaw establish a term of office for delegates and may by rule or bylaw establish term limits.

AB716,,226 4. The commission may recommend removal or suspension of any delegate from office.

AB716,,227 5. A member state’s State licensing authority shall fill any vacancy of its delegate occurring on the commission within 60 days of the vacancy.

AB716,,228 6. Each delegate shall be entitled to one vote on all matters that are voted on by the commission.

AB716,,229 7. The commission shall meet at least once during each calendar year. Additional meetings may be held as set forth in the bylaws. The commission may meet by telecommunication, video conference or other similar electronic means.

AB716,,230 (c) The commission shall have the following powers:

AB716,,231 1. Establish the fiscal year of the commission;

AB716,,232 2. Establish code of conduct and conflict of interest policies;

AB716,,233 3. Adopt rules and bylaws;

AB716,,234 4. Maintain its financial records in accordance with the bylaws;

AB716,,235 5. Meet and take such actions as are consistent with the provisions of this compact, the commission’s rules, and the bylaws;

AB716,,236 6. Initiate and conclude legal proceedings or actions in the name of the commission, provided that the standing of any state licensing authority to sue or be sued under applicable law shall not be affected;

AB716,,237 7. Maintain and certify records and information provided to a member state as the authenticated business records of the commission, and designate an agent to do so on the commission’s behalf;

AB716,,238 8. Purchase and maintain insurance and bonds;

AB716,,239 9. Borrow, accept, or contract for services of personnel, including, but not limited to, employees of a member state;

AB716,,240 10. Conduct an annual financial review;

AB716,,241 11. Hire employees, elect or appoint officers, fix compensation, define duties, grant such individuals appropriate authority to carry out the purposes of the compact, and establish the commission’s personnel policies and programs relating to conflicts of interest, qualifications of personnel, and other related personnel matters;

AB716,,242 12. Assess and collect fees;

AB716,,243 13. Accept any and all appropriate gifts, donations, grants of money, other sources of revenue, equipment, supplies, materials, and services, and receive, utilize, and dispose of the same; provided that at all times the commission shall avoid any appearance of impropriety or conflict of interest;

AB716,,244 14. Lease, purchase, retain, own, hold, improve, or use any property, real, personal, or mixed, or any undivided interest therein;

AB716,,245 15. Sell, convey, mortgage, pledge, lease, exchange, abandon, or otherwise dispose of any property real, personal, or mixed;

AB716,,246 16. Establish a budget and make expenditures;

AB716,,247 17. Borrow money;

AB716,,248 18. Appoint committees, including standing committees, composed of members, state regulators, state legislators or their representatives, and consumer representatives, and such other interested persons as may be designated in this compact and the bylaws;

AB716,,249 19. Accept and transmit complaints from the public, regulatory or law enforcement agencies, or the commission, to the relevant member state(s) regarding potential misconduct of licensees;

AB716,,250 20. Elect a chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer and such other officers of the commission as provided in the commission’s bylaws;

AB716,,251 21. Establish and elect an executive committee, including a chair and a vice chair;

AB716,,252 22. Adopt and provide to the member states an annual report.

AB716,,253 23. Determine whether a state’s adopted language is materially different from the model compact language such that the state would not qualify for participation in the compact; and

AB716,,254 24. Perform such other functions as may be necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes of this compact.

AB716,,255 (d) The executive committee. 1. The executive committee shall have the power to act on behalf of the commission according to the terms of this compact. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of the executive committee shall include:

AB716,,256 a. Overseeing the day-to-day activities of the administration of the compact including compliance with the provisions of the compact, the commission’s rules and bylaws, and other such duties as deemed necessary;

AB716,,257 b. Recommending to the commission changes to the rules or bylaws, changes to this compact legislation, fees charged to compact member states, fees charged to licensees, and other fees;

AB716,,258 c. Ensuring compact administration services are appropriately provided, including by contract;

AB716,,259 d. Preparing and recommending the budget;

AB716,,260 e. Maintaining financial records on behalf of the commission;

AB716,,261 f. Monitoring compact compliance of member states and providing compliance reports to the commission;

AB716,,262 g. Establishing additional committees as necessary;

AB716,,263 h. Exercise the powers and duties of the commission during the interim between commission meetings, except for adopting or amending rules, adopting or amending bylaws, and exercising any other powers and duties expressly reserved to the commission by rule or bylaw; and

AB716,,264 i. Other duties as provided in the Rules or bylaws of the Commission.

AB716,,265 2. The executive committee shall be composed of seven voting members and up to two ex-officio members as follows:

AB716,,266 a. The chair and vice chair of the commission and any other members of the commission who serve on the executive committee shall be voting members of the executive committee; and

AB716,,267 b. Other than the chair, vice-chair, secretary and treasurer, the commission shall elect three voting members from the current membership of the commission.

AB716,,268 c. The commission may elect ex-officio, nonvoting members as necessary as follows: one ex-officio member who is a representative of the national association of state massage therapy regulatory boards and one ex-officio member as specified in the Commission’s bylaws.

AB716,,269 3. The commission may remove any member of the executive committee as provided in the commission’s bylaws.

AB716,,270 4. The Executive Committee shall meet at least annually.

AB716,,271 a. Executive committee meetings shall be open to the public, except that the executive committee may meet in a closed, non-public session of a public meeting when dealing with any of the matters covered under par. (f) 4.

AB716,,272 b. The executive committee shall give five business days advance notice of its public meetings, posted on its website and as determined to provide notice to persons with an interest in the public matters the executive committee intends to address at those meetings.

AB716,,273 5. The executive committee may hold an emergency meeting when acting for the commission to:

AB716,,274 a. Meet an imminent threat to public health, safety, or welfare;

AB716,,275 b. Prevent a loss of commission or participating state funds; or

AB716,,276 c. Protect public health and safety.

AB716,,277 (e) The commission shall adopt and provide to the member states an annual report.

AB716,,278 (f) Meetings of the Commission. 1. All meetings of the commission that are not closed pursuant to this subsection shall be open to the public. Notice of public meetings shall be posted on the commission’s website at least thirty (30) days prior to the public meeting.

AB716,,279 2. Notwithstanding subd. 1., the commission may convene an emergency public meeting by providing at least twenty-four (24) hours prior notice on the commission’s website, and any other means as provided in the commission’s rules, for any of the reasons it may dispense with notice of proposed rulemaking under sub. (10) (L). The commission’s legal counsel shall certify the that one of the reasons justifying an emergency public meeting has been met.

AB716,,280 3. Notice of all commission meetings shall provide the time, date, and location of the meeting, and if the meeting is to be held or accessible via telecommunication, video conference, or other electronic means, the notice shall include the mechanism for access to the meeting.

AB716,,281 4. The commission may convene in a closed, non-public meeting for the commission to discuss:

AB716,,282 a. Non-compliance of a member state with its obligations under the compact;

AB716,,283 b. The employment, compensation, discipline or other matters, practices or procedures related to specific employees or other matters related to the commission’s internal personnel practices and procedures;

AB716,,284 c. Current or threatened discipline of a licensee by the commission or by a member state’s licensing authority;

AB716,,285 d. Current, threatened, or reasonably anticipated litigation;

AB716,,286 e. Negotiation of contracts for the purchase, lease, or sale of goods, services, or real estate;

AB716,,287 f. Accusing any person of a crime or formally censuring any person;

AB716,,288 g. Trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential;

AB716,,289 h. Information of a personal nature where disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

AB716,,290 i. Investigative records compiled for law enforcement purposes;

AB716,,291 j. Information related to any investigative reports prepared by or on behalf of or for use of the commission or other committee charged with responsibility of investigation or determination of compliance issues pursuant to the compact;

AB716,,292 k. Legal advice;

AB716,,293 L. Matters specifically exempted from disclosure to the public by federal or member state law; or

AB716,,294 m. Other matters as promulgated by the commission by rule.

AB716,,295 5. If a meeting, or portion of a meeting, is closed, the presiding officer shall state that the meeting will be closed and reference each relevant exempting provision, and such reference shall be recorded in the minutes.

AB716,,296 6. The commission shall keep minutes that fully and clearly describe all matters discussed in a meeting and shall provide a full and accurate summary of actions taken, and the reasons therefore, including a description of the views expressed. All documents considered in connection with an action shall be identified in such minutes. All minutes and documents of a closed meeting shall remain under seal, subject to release only by a majority vote of the commission or order of a court of competent jurisdiction.