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- [00:01]
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- [01:34]
Maggie Stasik
Hello and welcome to ASCP's STTalk. I'm your co host Maggie Stasik, ASCP's program director.
- [01:39]
Ella Cressman
And I'm Ella Cressman, licensed esthetician, big fan of all things skin, ingredient junkie and content contributor for ascp.
- [01:46]
Maggie Stasik
Today we're talking about the Cosmetology and Aesthetics Compacts, key legislation shaping our industry. And we're joined by Laura Puryear, ASCP's government relations director. Hi Laura, welcome to the show. We're so glad you're here.
- [02:00]
Laura Puryear
Hey guys, I am excited to be here.
- [02:02]
Maggie Stasik
Before we dive in, we want to give our listeners a little background about you. Hailing from North Carolina, Laura brings over 10 years of lobbying and advocacy experience from the campaign trails to the state legislature. She's no stranger to the state politics and policy. She's been recognized nationally for her work and has also advocated for the skincare community with ascp. Her passion is advocating for your right to keep practicing your craft, whether it's esthetics, cosmetology or massage therapy. All right, Laura, let's start with the basics. What exactly is the Cosmetology and and aesthetics compacts?
- [02:41]
Laura Puryear
So the Cosmetology and aesthetics compacts are two separate pieces of model legislation. The Cosmetology Compact has already reached the amount of states it needs to actually form a compact commission which is kind of like a board. And that board will be in charge of issuing multi state licenses to cosmetologists who are living and practicing in member states. So this will kind of allow you sort of like a driver's license to practice across state lines, to take your practice between member states. It doesn't allow you to go to any state in the country. But states that have signed this piece of legislation into law and have joined the compact, they will be able to jump in between states with the. If they're traveling, if they're maybe going to an event, if they want to move, if they. We have a lot of people who want to travel for winter and go somewhere warmer. So that kind of thing. That one already has enough states. The compact commission is being spun up. We're trying to get more states to join so more cosmetologists can do it. The aesthetics compact is in a little bit earlier phase right now. So we have the bill filed currently in three states, but it will do the same thing. It will allow estheticians, if it passes in at least seven states, hopefully more. And the compact commission is formed, it will allow estheticians to practice across state lines and take their practice with them, grow their business. Especially helpful for people who live on the border of a state. Say you live in North Carolina and you want to be able to practice just 20 minutes away in South Carolina and open up, you know, maybe make a small franchise out of your business. You can do that. So we are working with a bunch of other stakeholders to try and get as many states as possible signed onto both of these compacts.
- [04:28]
Maggie Stasik
Just a little clarification here being that there is this compact and I can cross state lines within the states that have adopted this compact. Does that mean I need to get a special license for the compact or it just means the license I have within those states is valid across those state lines.
- [04:48]
Ella Cressman
So it.
- [04:49]
Laura Puryear
There are different structures for different compacts, right? So look at your driver's license. You don't need to get a different license if you're going to drive across state lines. The way most professional compacts work is you have your home state license, which is where you live and work and then you apply for a multi state license. So it is completely optional. I've had some people say, well, I don't want to practice across state lines. I like where I live and work. You don't have to, but you would apply to this compact commission that is being set up for a multi state license. And as long as you meet the requirements of your own state and are licensed in your own home state, you'll be able to get a multi state license. As long as you know your background check doesn't Flag anything. So it should be pretty seamless.
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Ella Cressman
So curious how this will affect licensing, mobility or the way we practice, including even virtual consultations.
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Laura Puryear
Right. So I hadn't thought about the virtual consultation part and that's actually a really good point. I think it might, and I'm not an attorney, so don't, you know, don't go to the mat with this. But it might open up the opportunity for you to do virtual consultations with clients who are in other states as long as that state is part of the compact. But as far as it's affecting mobility, obviously it's going to allow you to expand your license, it's going to allow you to take your business on the road to other participating states, grow your book of business. So you've got X amount of clients in your home state and if you live near a border, you can have just that many in the next state over. I mean, it's a really good opportunity for that. And then one of the big arguments that we have is for military families. So that's a big part of why the Department of Defense is a sponsor of so many professional compacts. Because you've got spouses of military members who have to move every two to four years and they are sitting in a new state twiddling their thumbs for six months like, okay, I'm waiting to get my license by reciprocity and the state is taking forever. So this solves that problem. And then beyond just military families, it'll cut out the license by reciprocity issue. So if you've ever had to do that, if you've moved to a new state and had to apply and send your transcripts in and then be like, oh my God, the school I went to is closed. I can't get my transcripts, I can't find my, you know, exam results, whatever. And it can take forever. And some people wind up just giving up because it's so difficult to get their license by reciprocity, this will help with that as well. So you get your multi state license and then you move to another state and you start practicing. So it can be a real game changer for people.
- [07:22]
Maggie Stasik
Is there additional training or hours that somebody is going to have to obtain to meet the compact licensing rules?
- [07:31]
Laura Puryear
So the whole way it works is if a state joins, the state has to meet the right requirements for to be a member of the compact. So if you've got a state that doesn't license cosmetology, which there, there are none, but if you had a state that didn't License cosmetology, they would not be allowed to join the compact. You have to have those basic standards. So the state has to have certain standards for licensure in order to join the individual. As long as they meet those state requirements, typically is going to be able to get their multi state license with no problem.
- [08:03]
Ella Cressman
I think this is really cool. I'm just planning my future now and snowboarding or whatever, you know, it could be following. I feel like some states where there are snowbird tendencies struggle in different seasons. But what an opportunity for some professionals to expand their potential or their opportunities and follow em or you know, relocate for a season.
- [08:26]
Laura Puryear
And we see it also in situations where there are natural disasters. So we've seen a lot of people in cosmetology and massage specifically, but obviously applies to other professions, nurses and that kind of thing. When there is a natural disaster and people either need to get out of where they are because they can't practice and they need to make money, or people want to come into that area and be of service to people who are going through crisis. So if you have a situation where, you know, FEMA is on the ground, people have lost their homes, folks want to come in and be like, hey, I'm going to give you a free haircut, I'm going to come in and give you a massage, whatever. And so there are so many other like little random opportunities for people to work across state lines and this allows them to do that without having to worry about getting their license yanked.
- [09:12]
Ella Cressman
Hold that thought.
- [09:13]
Laura Puryear
We'll be right back.
- [09:14]
Narrator/Advertiser
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Ella Cressman
Okay, here we go.
- [10:02]
Laura Puryear
Let's get back to the podcast.
- [10:04]
Maggie Stasik
You may have mentioned this, Laura and I might have missed it. What is the timeline on the aesthetics compact coming into effect?
- [10:10]
Laura Puryear
Right, so that's a kind of tricky question because it all depends on what happens at the state legislative level. So like I said, we need a minimum of seven states to sign on. They have to pass basically identical version of the bill, get it signed into law by their governor, and then we can start forming The Compact Commission. Every state does what they want. Their legislature, they are their own masters. We can't force a vote on this. So we right now are in the position of trying to get bill sponsors in different states, trying to get them to introduce this bill, get committee hearings, get it passed through both chambers and to the governor's desk. Once that happens, once we get seven states, the process takes about a year. After that, the Compact Commission is formed with representatives from each of the initial member states. So if 10 states sign on in the beginning, it'll be 10 members. If it's just seven, it'll be seven. And it takes about a year to get everything spun up, if everything goes according to plan, and then they'll start issuing licenses. So if all the stars aligned and legislators actually started doing exactly what we want them to, you know, and pigs were flying and all that, then if we got seven states that pass this into law this year, it would still still be another full year, probably until they start issuing licenses. In all likelihood, we will maybe get a couple states signed on this year, and then hopefully the rest of them next year, and then it'll be a year from that date.
- [11:35]
Maggie Stasik
Okay, so we have a little bit of time then.
- [11:37]
Laura Puryear
Yeah.
- [11:38]
Maggie Stasik
How is ASCP specifically supporting this initiative?
- [11:42]
Laura Puryear
So Ashley Scoby, who is ASCP's VP of Cosmetology and marketing, has been instrumental in the effort. She's done a ton of work, especially with fundraising, which is really important because these things don't happen for free. She's been involved in all of the meetings ever since the legislation was drafted. And then I was involved earlier in the process when we were putting together legislation. So we had representatives from regulatory boards and other industry professionals. We got together in D.C. and we poured line by line through the model legislation and figured out what we wanted, what we didn't want. And so those are. Those were kind of the two big foundational ways we played a role. And then, of course, I am supporting the force of nature. Leslie Rosti, as she works on getting this bill filed in a bunch of different places and lending our support and testifying and reaching out to legislators and telling them that we want this and the industry supports it.
- [12:36]
Ella Cressman
So what can we do as estheticians to help support this effort? How do we stay informed? How do we get involved? What's something. I mean, because I think it's a really awesome opportunity. So what can we do to help?
- [12:50]
Laura Puryear
So your voices are the most important thing, especially within a state. I can scream from the mountaintops all day here. In Colorado that again, to pick on North Carolina, that they should join the aesthetics compact. But the voice of an esthetician in North Carolina is going to matter a hundred times more than mine as somebody who doesn't live in the state, can't vote for their representatives, isn't a constituent. And so reaching out to your state representative and state senator is going to be the biggest thing you can do. Reach out to them and say, we want you to file this bill. If they haven't, if it hasn't been filed in your state yet. If it has been filed, reach out to the committee, members of the committee it's been assigned to and say, hey, it's time for a hearing. Put this on the agenda. If it's on the agenda, reach out and say, vote yes for this bill. This is why it matters. I am a constituent, a voter, a business owner. I contribute to the economy in your district. And this is something that is important to me. And explain why mobility matters to you and your profession and why it's going to elevate aesthetics and how that matters to you as a constituent. And they're going to listen to that way more than they're going to listen to me saying the same thing. So as far as keeping informed, keep an eye on your email. We try to limit the emails that we send out so we aren't like drowning your inbox. But we will let you know if the bill is coming up for a hearing in your state. We'll let you know if it's been filed or obviously we'll let you know if it's been signed into law. But there are a lot of different opportunities for you to speak out. So if you get an email that says, hey, reach out to this committee and let them know you support the bill. And you don't have time, you're traveling, whatever, you missed the email. There's probably gonna be another committee in two weeks, so just keep an eye out. And we will. We'll let you know where you can jump in and help.
- [14:37]
Ella Cressman
So I have a question, because it might not, it kind of feels a little bit intimidating, right? But my question is, how do we know what to write? Like, do you have a template or something? And then how do we know where to go and how, like, who we direct it to?
- [14:52]
Laura Puryear
So we, when we send out an email, we'll typically say, hey, this is who you reach out to click through and either find your representative or these are the members of the committee. And here's suggested language for you to use in your email. One thing we do try to encourage you to do is make your email a little bit unique. A lot of states and definitely the federal government, which doesn't apply here, but they use it, they have a software that will take public comment that is significantly similar and they'll combine it into one. So if you and the five other people you practice with send identical letters, it's only going to count as one in a lot of cases, not everywhere. But so take our template and then make it a little bit unique. Throw in, you know, I've been practicing since 1995, or this is the type of practice I have, or I employ this many people, throw in something that makes it unique or your story, how practicing aesthetics changed your life or gave you a new career or whatever, make it a little bit personal and that way it's going to stand out a lot more. And then as far as where you can find more information, if you want kind of FAQs or talking points or ways to be able to kind of talk about this a little bit more articulately because I know you can get passionate about talking about something and totally lose your train of thought. So if you want talking points to help. Www.arethheticscompact.org and that's aesthetics spelled with just the E, not the A. And there's everything you need on there. So it has a map that's interactive, that'll update next time a bill is filed in another state. It's got FAQs, it's got timelines, and like this is how compacts work and what you need to do and all of that on there. And then of course, if you have more questions or you have concerns about anything, you can always reach out to us@grpskincare.com and we will be happy to answer any questions we can.
- [16:42]
Ella Cressman
I think this is something for those listeners who run city based groups or state based groups like I have Colorado Bestheticians or we have the San Antonio Estheticians with Jackie and Desiree, that this is something to consider sharing in those groups to really multiply the efforts.
- [17:00]
Laura Puryear
Yeah. And if you run one of those social media groups and you want me to look over what you're going to post or make sure you know the facts you have on there are correct. Shoot it over and we'll give it a look.
- [17:12]
Maggie Stasik
Now listeners, we want to hear from you. Share with us on social media through Instagram, Facebook or send us an email@getconnectedscp skincare.com in the meantime, thank you for listening to ASCPSDtalk for more information on this episode, or to learn more about ascp, check out the show notes.