A Great Week for the Missouri Yoga Community!

January 27, 2016

On Monday, the Missouri House Emerging Issues Committee held a hearing on legislation HB 1681 – supported by Yoga Alliance – to exempt Missouri YTTs from burdensome and unnecessary regulation by the Missouri Department of Higher Education. Missouri yogis Elle Potter and Amber Howlett, along with Yoga Alliance Board Member Roger Rippy, testified in support of the legislation and did a great job explaining the yoga community’s support for this legislation! We are thankful to Committee Chairman Elijah Haahr for authoring this legislation and for his help in promoting it.

Today, the House Emerging Issues Committee passed the bill out of committee with a unanimous vote! This overwhelming vote in favor of the legislation affirms that our message is resonating; legislators understand that yoga teacher training programs (YTTs) are primarily for personal advancement and growth and should not be regulated as vocational training schools. We are pleased that the Committee recognizes the substantial burden placed on YTT providers by the regulation in the form of fees and extra paperwork. Yoga Alliance will continue to fight unfair regulations that may prevent studios from offering teacher training programs.

What's next?

We expect the bill to move to the House General Laws Committee for further consideration before coming to a full vote on the House floor. We will keep you posted as our efforts continue!

How you can help:

The finish line is in sight, Missouri! Yoga Alliance has been proud to champion the rights of YTTs and the Missouri yoga community. We are unleashing significant legal and lobbying resources to get the job done. Please help us over the finish line with a financial contribution.