Depending on whom you ask, San Francisco's decision this week to force a Sunset District massage parlor to close its doors is either proof that a statewide law is working or another example of its failure.

San Francisco Department of Public Health officials ordered 798 Health Care, at 3410 Judah St., to shut down immediately Wednesday after two separate inspections uncovered three masseuses working without proper certification. The business was also fined $1,000.

The California Massage Therapy Council - a nonprofit created by state legislation in 2009 to issue voluntary permits for massage therapists - hailed the closure as proof that the state system is working. Council CEO Ahmos Natanel said the nonprofit "completely supports city and county efforts to shut down illicit establishments."

That's where things get a little complicated.

City officials say the shutdown, and other crackdowns on massage parlors suspected of illicit activities such as prostitution and human trafficking, is actually happening in spite of the statewide nonprofit, not because of it. That's because the legislation that created the council - which is pretty widely despised by local police and health officials - prohibits cities from regulating massage parlors unless they apply the same restrictions to any other licensed professional businesses.

The law also had a loophole that allowed 798 Health Care Center "to open as a SFDPH permit exempt massage establishment through a change of ownership," said Richard Lee, the city's acting director of environmental health.

In general, San Francisco and other cities argue that the state law has tied their hands and let shady massage parlors flourish. Last year, in an attempt to get around the state restrictions, Supervisor Katy Tang authored legislation that spelled out what conduct is not allowed in massage establishments (read: sex) and allowed the city to crack down on 798 Health Care by letting SFDPH register council (CAMTC) exempt sites, Lee said.

"SB731 has created unsafe conditions for consumers and practitioners and is costing the city money to monitor and enforce, which we are unable to recover because of the state law," he said, adding that the department is working to push state lawmakers to abolish the CAMTC when SB731 sunsets next year.

But Natanel - who will be out of a job if the law is not renewed - said San Francisco and other cities "have always had the ability to do what they did" on Wednesday.

"They could have done this a year ago, four years ago - nothing stood in their way, and we are very pleased to see them taking action that we hope will help them to eradicate this kind of problem," he said.

- Marisa Lagos