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Testimony on House Bill 81 — Deborah Hitt, Reflexology Certification Institute (May 12, 2021)

Summary

Testimony in support of House Bill 81 before the Ohio House Commerce and Labor Committee, dated May 12, 2021, from Deborah Hitt, NBCR, Executive Director, who identifies as a National Board Certified Reflexologist and reflexology educator. It states the Reflexology Certification Institute and the reflexology industry broadly support the objective of combating bad actors who use the guise of massage to conduct criminal activity and human trafficking. It says the scope of reflexology is limited to hands, feet, and outer ears. It states that in its current form the bill clarifies that certified reflexologists and reflexology students may continue to work in Ohio.

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“Testimony on House Bill 81 — Deborah Hitt, Reflexology Certification Institute (May 12, 2021).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2021-05-12-commerce-labor-testimony-hb81prohittwritten-56473200b6/, SHA-256 6eee26334dff67a3cb9476e19f350d6c5ffc45699c432d9929bfb05331bbf7f8.

Full text

                            Deborah Hitt, NBCR, Executive Director
                           Ohio House Commerce and Labor Committee
                                         House Bill 81
                                         May 12, 2021

Chairman Stein, Vice Chair Johnson, Ranking Minority Member Lepore- Hagan, my name is
Debbie Hitt and I am a National Board Certified Reflexologist and reflexology educator. My
life’s work is sharing reflexology with my clients and students. Thank you for the opportunity to
provide testimony in support of House Bill 81.

The Reflexology Certification Institute and reflexology industry broadly support the objective of
this legislation to combat bad actors using the guise of massage to conduct criminal activity and
engage in the horrors of human trafficking. Thank you to the sponsors of the legislation and the
stakeholders for finding a balance in vigorously advancing the fight against human trafficking
while also providing the legitimate businesses are not unnecessarily forced to close in Ohio.

The scope of reflexology is limited to hands, feet, and outer ears. Our clients are fully clothed
with the exception of socks and shoes. No lotions or oils are directly applied to the client!s skin
in a reflexology session. Reflexologists serve their clients holistically, using focused techniques
of applied pressure that many individuals undergoing chemotherapy and hospice treatments find
beneficial for relaxation and pain management.

I have been studying reflexology since 2001 and am a National Board Certified Reflexologist
through the American Reflexology Certification Board. My colleagues and I invest in reflexolo-
gy education every year. I began teaching in 2012 as the Executive Director of the Reflexology
Certification Institute and have been so excited and amazed at the power of reflexology and the
transformation of my students. The Reflexology Certification Institute is registered with the
Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and as such, is subject to the state regulations and various
renewal processes. Three reflexology schools are currently registered with the Ohio State Board
of Career Colleges. At the Reflexology Certification Institute, the goal is to provide the highest
quality of reflexology education and to prepare our students to sit for the national exam.

Advocates for this bill have been bringing together the stakeholders on this issue going as far
back as 2018 to ensure that all voices were heard on this policy proposal. Without the thoughtful
consideration of the sponsor and the interested parties, reflexology practitioners and educators
would have lost their ability to work in the state. In its current form, the bill clarifies that nation-
ally certified reflexologists and reflexology students may continue to work in Ohio.

I thank Representatives Manchester and Plummer for their efforts to hold bad actors accountable
and prevent human trafficking while allowing safe and lawful small businesses to continue to
operate in Ohio. Thank you to the members of the committee for your consideration and for the
opportunity to provide testimony in support for this meaningful legislation.

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