04/03/2026
My message to Tennessee legislators this morning:
Please Join Your Neighbors in Aligning Tennessee with the Official Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact) Model Legislation
My name is Kirby, and I am a Licensed Massage Therapist Instructor based in Arkansas. I am writing to respectfully urge you to oppose HB 2201 and SB 2446 as currently drafted and instead support adoption of the official model legislation of the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact).
Arkansas proudly became the third state in the country to enact the original IMpact model language. Because we adopted the legislation exactly as drafted, we are positioned to participate fully in a growing multi-state system designed to ensure license portability, public protection, and regulatory collaboration. Soon after Arkansas, Virginia also enacted the same model language, reinforcing regional momentum that would be most advantageous for Tennessee to join in 2026.
The legislation currently introduced in Tennessee — HB 2201 and SB 2446 — does not reflect the official IMpact model. Interstate compacts function only when states pass uniform language. Deviations create incompatibility. If Tennessee enacts altered language, it risks isolating itself from the states that have already adopted the official compact and from those that will join it in the future. (As mentioned, Arkansas and Virginia have already joined the original compact, while Missouri, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Georgia have active legislation pending)
The risk of passing HB2201 & SB2446 in the Volunteer State would:
• Prevent seamless license portability between Tennessee and neighboring states like Arkansas
• Undermine workforce mobility and economic opportunity
• Require Tennessee to reintroduce and reenact legislation later in order to join the official compact
• Create uncertainty for practitioners, employers, and regulators
It is important to emphasize that the official IMpact model was not drafted hastily. It was developed over a three-year process involving regulators, legislators, legal experts, and national stakeholders, with extensive public comment and legal review. The result is carefully balanced language designed to ensure constitutional integrity, consistent standards, and strong public protection across member states.
Creating or adopting alternative compact language effectively starts from scratch — without assurance that other states will follow. The strength of an interstate compact lies in uniformity and shared participation.
Our region is interconnected. Arkansas alone has multiple massage therapy schools preparing graduates who serve clients across state lines. Patients, military families, small business owners, and healthcare systems all benefit when neighboring states operate within the same regulatory framework.
I respectfully urge you to support Tennessee’s participation in the official IMpact model legislation and to decline HB 2201 and SB 2446 as currently written. Aligning with the established compact will ensure Tennessee therapists and consumers are part of a unified, national solution rather than an isolated alternative.
Thank you for your time, leadership, and careful consideration of this important matter.
