Texas House bill by Rep. Hernandez mandates photo permits for massage school students

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Ana Hernandez seeks to enhance identification requirements for students enrolled in massage schools, aiming to improve regulatory oversight through mandated permits displayed at the schools, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 61 Democrats and 77 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while seven Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 10 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, while one Democrat voted against it.

Ana Hernandez introduced the bill in the Texas House on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, ahead of the official start of the 89th regular legislative session on Jan. 14, 2025.

Hernandez graduated from the University of Houston in 1999 with a BS and again in 2004 from University of Texas School of Law with a JD.

Hernandez, a Democrat, was elected to the Texas State House in 2005 to represent the state’s 143rd House district, replacing previous state representative Joe Moreno.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to massage student permits’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Occupations Code to mandate that students enrolled in massage schools in Texas must hold a permit stating their name, the name of the school, and include a photograph of the student’s face. The permit should be displayed in a reasonable manner at the school. The Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation is required to adopt rules necessary to implement these changes as soon as practicable after the act’s effective date, which is set for Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Sunday, May 25, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.