Decatur City Council tabled ordinance on licensing for massage establishments

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Massage therapy locations in Decatur could be collaborating with the city to create an ordinance for a new license for massage establishments.

Monday night, Decatur City Council tabled an ordinance that would outline licensing requirements for massage establishments in the city.

The proposed ordinance was tabled in order to foster more collaboration between the Council and massage therapists in the area. It is expected to be discussed at the next Decatur City Council meeting on March 17.

The proposed ordinance in its current form requires that massage establishments be both licensed and up-to-date with eligibility requirements. Requirements include inspections by police, fire and code enforcement to ensure compliance and safety. It also creates standards for sanitation and operation, as well as guidelines for employees.

The ordinance exempts medical facilities, athletic programs, licensed cosmetologists, educational institutions, and state licensed home-based massage service providers from needing the license.

Most notable are the operation requirements outlines in the proposed ordinance, especially after nearly a dozen massage parlors were closed in Springfield due to non-compliance with an ordinance passed last summer to combat human trafficking.

The proposed ordinance requires that all employees of the establishment shall not take their clothes off, or offer or agree to take their clothes off. All patrons must have their sexual or genital area covered by towels, cloths, or undergarments when in the presence of any employees of the establishment.

The current proposed ordinance determines that it is unlawful for any employees of the establishment to place their hands on, touch with any part of their body, to fondle, or massage a sexual or genital area of any person while on the licensed premises. No employees shall perform, offer, or agree to perform any act that would require physical contact with the patron's sexual or genital area.

As per the current iteration, any prospective customers and patrons must be provided with a written notice that states that state law prohibits soliciting another for the purpose of a sexual act. It explains the possible legal repercussions, and that any offers or requests will be immediately reported to law enforcement. It also requires that a similar notice be posted in a location accessible to all employees.

The current proposed ordinance also outlines advertising practices; there cannot be any advertisement, picture, or statements that suggest or imply any sexual activity in connection with massage services, or suggest a patron to purchase services for sexual activity. It also prevents depicting any portion of the human body that would imply to customers that sexual activity is available or will be performed in connection with massage services.