Over the last few years, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) has worked with massage profession stakeholders to pass an Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact) to allow qualified massage therapists to apply for a multistate license to work across state lines in participating compact member states. The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) has done an incredible job leading the charge for the adoption of the IMpact, working hard to include voices and organizations from across the profession and ensuring no one is excluded.
Recently, the IMpact has faced an unexpected hurdle. The Department of Defense (DOD) and the Council of State Governments (CSG), who originally supported FSMTB and the model IMpact bill language, are now backing a revised version of the bill (see FSMTB’s statement to learn more). This new version was brought about by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), contrary to the wishes of all other major stakeholders. This is not a simple amendment to a nearly established compact—this will effectively destroy all work done thus far on an interstate compact and force the process to start anew.
The original bill language was carefully drafted to ensure licensed massage therapists would be properly educated and vetted, but not so strict that it would make obtaining a multistate license difficult for qualified LMTs. Amending the original bill language was unnecessary. At present, the IMpact requires only two more states to complete the compact so that a compact commission can be formed.
Any substantive changes made to the compact language would nullify the participation of the five states (Arkansas, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, and Virginia) that have already joined the IMpact. Between normal priority changes, political shifts, and elections in these states, there is no way to guarantee these original five states will be willing or able to sign on to a new interstate massage compact with adulterated language.
Reopening and amending the compact language are not simple matters. Changing the language now means having to restart the entire years-long process. We would be knocked from five of the required seven states down to zero, all to placate AMTA—which was involved in the original process but has chosen to disrupt the work of every other organization in the profession because their views weren’t adopted.
The bottom line is that the IMpact is being halted right before it crosses the finish line, despite its overwhelming support from LMTs across the country. This is unfair to all the organizations and individuals that dedicated countless hours and financial resources to ensuring the IMpact’s success. Even worse, it’s unfair to you, the LMT who trusted the stewards of this legislation to cooperate with FSMTB and other stakeholders to quickly and competently provide a solution to the license portability.
Passage of the original IMpact is a critical step forward for the massage profession. A multistate license will reduce financial burdens, expedite application processing times, and save practitioners from lengthy unemployment after relocating. The IMpact is a vastly superior alternative to reciprocity policies that vary state by state.
ABMP is still fighting for interstate mobility and is standing steadfast alongside FSMTB in advocating for the passage and adoption of the original version of the IMpact. We will, as always, keep you informed of any major developments with this issue.