FRANKFORT, KY (Feb. 6, 2026) – Senate Bill (SB) 132, sponsored by Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, passed out of the Senate today. This measure clarifies the authority of local law enforcement, that they are not limited in regulating massage therapy businesses owned by or affiliated with licensed massage therapists.
“Local leaders and law enforcement have expressed concerns about illegal activity associated with some massage parlors,” Frommeyer said. “SB 132 clarifies investigative authority so officials can respond more effectively to complaints and address potential criminal behavior, including cases involving human trafficking.”
The legislation establishes regulatory procedures, including zoning requirements, inspections, occupational licensing or fees, sanitation, and hours of operation for massage therapy businesses. The senator was made aware of cases of human trafficking were occurring at businesses fronting as legitimate massage therapy salons.
Frommeyer’s goal is to provide clarity, restore appropriate authority at the local level, strengthen enforcement tools and protect victims who may have fallen prey to criminals operating in this quasi-regulated space. The senator expressed concern for individuals who may not even understand that what they are being asked to do is a form of human trafficking.
SB 132 also states that each individual massage therapy session performed without a license would constitute a Class A misdemeanor rather than a Class B misdemeanor. Class A misdemeanors carry penalties of up to 12 months in jail, while Class B misdemeanors carry a maximum sentence of 90 days.
SB 132 is now eligible for the Kentucky House of Representatives to take up. For more information on this bill and others being considered, go to the Legislative Research commission here.
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Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, represents the 24th Senate District, including Bracken, Campbell and Pendleton Counties and part of Kenton County. She serves as co-chair of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary and the Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee. Frommeyer is the vice-chair of the Economic Development, Tourism & Labor Committee. In addition, she is a member of the Public Pension Oversight Board and the Agriculture and Families & Children’s Committees. Frommeyer is also a member of the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Commission. In 2025, she co-chaired the Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force, which examined strategies to improve Kentucky’s health through nutrition and food as medicine. In addition, she formed the Aeronautics and Aviation Economic Development Task Force.
Visit https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators%20Full%20Res%20Images/senate124.jpg for a high-resolution .jpeg of Funke Frommeyer.
