Update on the IMpact™ — and How You Can Help
The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) is providing this update to help clarify recent developments related to the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact™) and share how supporters of the IMpact can help support clarity and stability within the profession.
Proposed revisions to the IMpact model legislation are circulating, and this is creating confusion for some stakeholders. The majority of the changes are acceptable to FSMTB but they are BEST addressed in Rules, not Statute.
The FSMTB does not support revisions to the model statutory language for three main reasons:
- Making the changes in Statute instead of in Rule will RESTRICT access to the multistate license. Our intention is to have the multistate license be available to as many qualified LMTs as possible.
- One proposed change will FACILITATE HUMAN TRAFFICKING and allow organized criminal enterprises to infiltrate the profession. The existing language is written to prevent that.
- The IMpact model was written through an extensive stakeholder-informed and consensus-based process from the existing regulations across states and responding to the unique characteristics and needs of the massage therapy profession, keeping public protection at the forefront. The proposed changes were arbitrarily concocted in a silo and uninformed by regulatory realities.
The current model language — released in 2023 — was developed under the guidance and established best practices for compact development by the Council of State Governments (CSG) and the Defense-State Liaison Office of the Department of Defense (DSLO/DoD). It is unnecessary to undermine the transparent regulatory process and introduce significant delays with additional costs.
Five states have already enacted the IMpact, three more have pending legislation, and additional states are preparing for the 2026 legislative session.
To support your deeper understanding, FSMTB has prepared the IMpact Proposed Revisions Analysis and Recommendations, which outlines each proposed change and further explains why FSMTB does not support reopening the model language.
View the IMpact Revision Analysis and Recommendations
How You Can Support This Effort
Your voices carry meaningful influence within the profession. If you feel comfortable doing so, you can help by:
- Sharing accurate information when questions arise.
- Engaging with FSMTB’s social posts to reinforce clarity and counter misinformation.
- Visiting and sharing the IMpact website (massagecompact.org) as a reliable source of information.
- Completing the IMpact Survey of the Profession to share your perspective.
- Encouraging peers to rely on FSMTB’s official IMpact resources, rather than external reinterpretations.
Thank you for your continued leadership and service to the fair and reasonable regulation of the massage therapy profession. Massage professionals play an essential role in protecting the public and strengthening massage therapy regulation, and we deeply appreciate your partnership during this important phase of the IMpact’s progress.
The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB)
The mission of the Federation is to support its Member Boards in their work to ensure that the practice of massage therapy is provided to the public safely and competently.
