Senate Passes Bill Cutting Red Tape to Become Barber or Cosmetologist
December 1, 2022
Kristina D. Roegner News
COLUMBUS—State Senator Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) applauds the Senate's passage of Am. Sub. House Bill 542 which streamlines the process to become a barber or cosmetologist in Ohio. The bill will reduce unnecessary red tape by eliminating the barber school license and school of cosmetology license, and instead creating a single school license. Additionally, HB542 lowers the age requirement for an applicant to be issued a Barber license from 18 to 16, allows a license holder to practice barbering or cosmetology on a dead body at a funeral home or embalming facility, and loosens restrictions on license reciprocity for out of state applicants.
The bill was amended in the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee to include a reduction in the minimum number of hours of training required to receive a license in Cosmetology from 1500 to 1000, in Barbering from 1800 to 1000, and in Hair Design from 1200 to 800. The bill was also amended to allow: the written exam to be taken early – prior to the applicant having completed their training, the exams to be taken remotely and distance education to be used to meet certain education and continuing education requirements.
"These common sense changes to Ohio’s Cosmetology and Barber Law will translate into Ohioans achieving licensure and getting to work sooner," Roegner stated. “From the many licensure compact bills that I have sponsored in the Senate to HB542, occupational licensure reform continues to be a passion of mine. The goal is to remove government barriers, streamline the process and make it easier for people to get to work.”
The bill was amended in the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee to include a reduction in the minimum number of hours of training required to receive a license in Cosmetology from 1500 to 1000, in Barbering from 1800 to 1000, and in Hair Design from 1200 to 800. The bill was also amended to allow: the written exam to be taken early – prior to the applicant having completed their training, the exams to be taken remotely and distance education to be used to meet certain education and continuing education requirements.
"These common sense changes to Ohio’s Cosmetology and Barber Law will translate into Ohioans achieving licensure and getting to work sooner," Roegner stated. “From the many licensure compact bills that I have sponsored in the Senate to HB542, occupational licensure reform continues to be a passion of mine. The goal is to remove government barriers, streamline the process and make it easier for people to get to work.”