Ordinance to amend Title 3 Business Regulation and Licenses of the 2020 Municipal Code of Council Bluffs, Iowa by enacting new Chapter 3.20 “Massage Therapy”. 

At the request of Council Bluffs law enforcement seeking tools to address a growing problem in our community, this ordinance would strengthen local law enforcement's ability to combat human trafficking and sexual exploitation by establishing criminal penalties for businesses operating outside the Iowa Board of Massage Therapy's regulatory framework. While the Board can issue fines for violations, they have expressed support for municipal criminal sanctions to more effectively deter and punish bad actors who use massage businesses as fronts for prostitution and trafficking. Drawing from the most effective elements of various Iowa municipal ordinances, this proposed regulation creates targeted criminal penalties focusing on business owners and property managers rather than potential trafficking victims, disrupting the economic incentives that drive these illegal operations. The ordinance complements existing state-level regulation while providing law enforcement with stronger tools to investigate and prosecute those who exploit vulnerable individuals through illicit massage businesses.