HOUSTON, TEXAS (KTRK) — The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation sent out a notice in early November saying it would no longer offer the massage therapy licensing exam in Simplified Chinese.
The agency first announced it would offer the exam in Simplified Chinese in July 2023 after receiving feedback from the industry, 13 Investigates confirmed. The state also offers the test in English and Spanish.
Individuals looking to become a massage therapist have to take the exam, but it is not required to renew an existing license.
The state said 59% of all Texas massage exam customers took the Simplified Chinese version in fiscal year 2024, according to the notice. That number grew to 62% in fiscal year 2025.
“Language accommodation should be balanced against the risk of enabling bad actors,” the agency wrote in the email. “Ending free Simplified Chinese translation services is a necessary step in disrupting organized criminal networks and reducing the spread of (Illicit Massage Businesses) in Texas.”
13 Investigates reached out to TDLR in November, and they told us the number of exams given in Simplified Chinese did not reflect the demographics of Texas massage students or licensees.
They went on to say that further review found the translated exam had become “a factor in schemes connected to human trafficking and organized criminal networks.”
ABC13 spoke to the executive director of Asian Texans for Justice, who said the decision feels discriminatory.
An agency spokesperson said ending the exam was a “necessary step” to disrupt organized criminal networks and illicit activity.
The 13 Investigates team has been working for months to learn specifics about TDLR leadership’s decision-making process. The team will break down what they found tonight at 10 p.m. on ABC13.
Contact 13 Investigates
Have a tip? A problem to solve? Send a tip below. If you don’t have a photo or document to include, just hit ‘skip upload’ and send the details. (On mobile? You can open our form by tapping here.)
This story comes from our news partner ABC13 Houston.