“ The compact will expand employment opportunities and remove barriers to entry for licensees and business owners who wish to operate in multiple states .”
mutually recognize the practitioner licenses issued by every other member state .
The compact will expand employment opportunities and remove barriers to entry for licensees and business owners who wish to operate in multiple states . Rather than needing to obtain individual licenses in each state where they wish to work , a licensee must simply obtain a license in their home state through the compact , which grants them authorization to work in other compact member states with no additional action required .
Along with DoD , CSG partnered with the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards ( FSMTB ) and the Future of the Beauty Industry Coalition ( FBIC ) to support the mobility of licensees through the development of this new interstate compact .
DoD is interested in compacts because military families are highly mobile . To recruit and retain military personnel and maintain readiness , DoD believes interstate compacts are the best solution for occupational license portability for military spouses . These compacts have provisions that are specific to military spouses , however , the benefit will be available to all licensed massage therapists and cosmetologists who meet the requirements listed in the compacts .
Interstate compacts have been used by other professions to address the issue of license portability . Currently nine active occupational licensing compacts exist for professions including : nursing , medicine , physical therapy , psychology , counseling , audiology and speech language pathology . CSG has facilitated the development processes for all of these compacts .
The model legislation for IMpact and the Cosmetology Compact has been finalized and is ready for introduction during 2023 legislative sessions . Each state must enact the model compact legislation to join the compact . Once seven states enact the legislation the compacts will be operational .
Supporters of the compact can contact the state or national office of their professional membership association , their state licensing board , and their state legislature to advocate for the interstate compact . Personal stories from business owners and licensees regarding how the burdens of the state licensing process have impacted them often play a crucial role in lobbying for the legislature to enact the compact .
To see the model legislation , educational resources and how to advocate for the compact , please visit massagecompact . org and cosmetologycompact . org . n
Calling All Advocates
Enactment of the Interstate Massage Compact and Cosmetology Compact will benefit licensed treatment providers — and the spa leadership wanting to recruit and retain them . Successful implementation of these compacts could serve as a roadmap for future compacts representing other spa service specialists , as well .
Every ISPA member in the U . S . can help the effort to pass the IMpact and the Cosmetology Compact bills .
1 . Reach out to your state legislators . While model compact language is drafted , each state legislature must introduce and pass bills for the compacts to pass .
2 . Contact your state board . Licensing boards will be campaigning for introduction and passage of the bills . Let them know you are standing with them .
3 . Rally your associations . Specialist associations devote resources to causes important to their members . Be sure to voice your support for interstate compacts .
MATT SHAFER currently serves as the deputy director at the National Center for Interstate Compacts at The Council of State Governments . Matt manages interstate compact development projects for teaching , cosmetology , massage therapy , social work and dentistry . Matt also works with state legislators and stakeholder groups to support the enactment of compacts for counseling , occupational therapy and speech language pathology . Matt has vast experience developing and building consensus on policy options for state legislators .
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2023 n PULSE 29