LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

THE SPA INDUSTRY HAS EARNED more than a trophy. It has gained a stronger, more unified voice in the effort to modernize professional licensing.

Associated Skin Care Professionals( ASCP), the International SPA Association( ISPA) and the Professional Beauty Association( PBA) have received a 2026 ASAE Power of Associations Gold Award for their partnership to advance the Esthetics Licensure Compact.

Collaboration Earns National Recognition ASCP, ISPA and PBA have won a 2026 ASAE Power of Associations Gold Award for their joint work advancing the Esthetics Licensure Compact. The award will be presented Sept. 22 at the Summit Awards Dinner in Washington, D. C.

The honor recognizes the associations’ ability to bring different constituencies together around a shared goal: making it easier for qualified estheticians to work across state lines.

For spa leaders, the significance extends well beyond the awards stage. The compact could help reduce hiring barriers, improve workforce mobility and create a more practical licensing pathway for professionals whose careers— or families— require them to relocate.

ONE INDUSTRY, ONE MESSAGE The three associations represent distinct corners of the spa, skin care and beauty professions. Their collaboration

gave policymakers a clear and consistent industry position at a time when fragmented advocacy could have slowed progress.

“ The most meaningful part of this recognition is that it belongs to all three organizations,” said ISPA President Lynne McNees.

That unified approach has required more than a public endorsement. The organizations have stayed aligned on model legislation, coordinated advocacy efforts and resisted changes that might weaken consistency among participating states.

For lawmakers, that means a reliable national point of contact. For the industry, it creates an advocacy structure that may remain valuable long after the compact is implemented.

WHY MOBILITY MATTERS Today, an esthetician moving to another state may need to submit a new application, pay additional fees and wait before returning to work. The result can be lost income for the professional and a longer vacancy for the employer.

Those burdens can be especially difficult for military spouses, independent practitioners and small-business owners. The compact’ s development received some financial support from the U. S. Department of Defense because military families frequently relocate and can face repeated licensing disruptions.

Under the proposed system, qualified estheticians could obtain a multistate license allowing them to

“ This award demonstrates what becomes possible when an industry speaks with one voice.”— LYNNE MCNEES, ISPA

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