Rhode Island passes law requiring med spas to license as healthcare facilities

Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee signed the Medical Spas Safety Act (H 5351) into law, establishing a strict statutory framework for delegation, supervision, and performance of cosmetic medical procedures. Under the new law, Rhode Island medical spas must license as healthcare facilities and employ or contract with a licensed medical director. The Rhode Island Department of Health is currently drafting the regulations and must implement these licensing standards by July 1, 2026, following preliminary guidance issued in July 2024. For operators in Rhode Island, this means the era of running a med spa under a loose oversight model is ending. Practices will need to audit their current supervision structures, formalize their medical director agreements, and prepare for state health department inspections. If you operate in the state or plan to expand there, you should begin aligning your delegation protocols with standard healthcare facility requirements now rather than waiting for the 2026 enforcement deadline.

Source: Nixon Peabody, https://www.nixonpeabody.com/insights/alerts/2024/07/02/rhode-island-tightens-reins-on-medical-spas-and-iv-bar-clinics