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SALT LAKE CITY — After at least two incidents in unincorporated Salt Lake County reiki establishments in which massage businesses have served as fronts for prostitution, the Salt Lake County Council on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to an ordinance to regulate their operations.
The proposed ordinance sets conditions for reiki businesses' hours of operation and standards of dress, and requires each practitioner who is not an employee of the business to have his or her own Salt Lake County business license.
Reiki massage is not regulated by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. An agency memo dated Dec. 11, 2012, describes reiki as "spiritual healing art" that is performed on an individual by a reiki practitioner by "transmitting healing life force energy" through the hands.
"It is the position of the division to the extent that reiki is used as a 'spiritual healing art' and does not involve the methods outlined in the scope of the practice of massage therapy, then reiki is not a modality of massage," the DOPL memo said.
Brittany Allen, permitting and licensing supervisor for Salt Lake County, said reiki was not defined in the county's zoning ordinance, which applies to uses in unincorporated Salt Lake County. The passage of the ordinance would remedy that.
One of the goals of the ordinance is to eliminate the criminal element at these establishments that have been hiding behind the name.
–Brittany Allen, SL County
In recent years, state and federal authorities arrested a number of business owners in the Millcreek area who were running businesses that advertised reiki massage but undercover operations determined the businesses were fronts for prostitution.
"One of the goals of the ordinance is to eliminate the criminal element at these establishments that have been hiding behind the name," Allen said.
The ordinance limits hours of operation for reiki businesses to between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., and requires that neither clients nor practitioners appear on the premises in states of nudity or semi-nudity.
Moreover, the premises shall not be used for sexual conduct that violates state code or the Utah Massage Therapy Practice Act.
The council will consider the ordinance for final passage on Jan. 6.
