MBLEX

Importantly, the most significant concerns were the need for the provision of a valid and reliable licensing exam and the desire to bring commonality in licensing requirements to assist with professional mobility.

The commitment to reenergize this former alliance came to fruition with the formation of an interim organization. The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) formed an interim board consisting of all the regulators in attendance. This interim board was charged with conducting research into other like organizations, reaching out to the community for feedback, drafting bylaws and planning a meeting to formally establish the organization.

In September 2005, the FSMTB held its formalizing meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico prior to the annual American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) convention. The meeting was attended by 22 states and the District of Columbia. During this landmark event, bylaws were unanimously adopted and the first formal board was elected. Additionally, dialogue arising from the meeting suggested that three key issues were of utmost concern for the massage therapy regulatory community:

The need for consistent scopes of practice and entry level standards across the country The need for a valid and reliable licensing exam that would be accepted by all jurisdictions The need for a common database with licensing and disciplinary information and the ability to store critical documents Since the formational meeting in September 2005, the volunteer Board of Directors and committee members have continued to diligently work to establish a foundation upon which to build and advance the organization to carry out the desires of the member states.