2.   The Legislature finds and declares that:

   a.   the public interest requires the regulation of the practice of massage and bodywork therapies and the establishment of clear licensure standards for massage and bodywork therapists;
 
   b.   the health and welfare of the citizens of this State will be protected by identifying to the public those individuals who are qualified to practice massage and bodywork therapies; and
 
   c.   the regulation of massage and bodywork therapists will benefit the public by encouraging it to take advantage of massage and bodywork therapies as a viable complement to traditional medicine.
 
   L.1999, c.19, s.2; amended 2007, c.337, s.3.