HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 2237
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
As Reported by House Committee On:
Business & Financial Services
Title: An act relating to cosmetology training and licensure requirements.
Brief Description: Concerning cosmetology training and licensure requirements.
Sponsors: Representatives Tarleton, Haler, Pollet, Zeiger, Bergquist and Morrell.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Business & Financial Services: 1/24/14, 1/29/14 [DPS].
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
|
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS & FINANCIAL SERVICES |
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 15 members: Representatives Kirby, Chair; Ryu, Vice Chair; Parker, Ranking Minority Member; Vick, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blake, Fagan, Habib, Hawkins, Hudgins, G. Hunt, Hurst, Kochmar, MacEwen, Santos and Stanford.
Staff: David Rubenstein (786-7153).
Background:
Cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, master estheticians, and manicurists are regulated by the Department of Licensing (DOL). The minimum training or apprenticeship hours required for licensure for each practitioner is as follows:
Practitioner | Hours in School; or | Hours in Apprenticeship |
Cosmetologist | 1,600 | 2,000 |
Barber | 1,000 | 1,200 |
Manicurist | 600 | 800 |
Esthetician | 750 | 800 |
Master Esthetician | 1,200 hours or esthetician licensure plus 450 hours | 1,400 |
In addition to training or apprenticeship, applicants for licensure must take written and/or practical examinations administered or approved by the DOL. The examinations are designed to test the applicant's knowledge of safe and sanitary practices and may also test on the applicant's knowledge of the law. The DOL is required to ensure that after completion of the required training or apprenticeship, applicants may promptly take the examination(s) and receive their results.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Summary of Substitute Bill:
The requirement that the DOL ensure swift examination and results is eliminated. The DOL is required to provide practice examinations for students of vocational schools prior to completion of training hours and must provide practice examination results to schools.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:
The substitute bill strikes new language in the original bill that would require the DOL to allow applicants to take the required examination before completing their training.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:
(In support) Students going through a lengthy and expensive cosmetology training program must simply hope that they can pass the examination after they are done. Taking the examination early will relieve anxiety and give students some certainty.
Availability of pre-completion practice exams will improve pass rates and will improve testing rates. When students were allowed to take the test early, testing rates were very high for some schools, but they fell when students could not take the test until completion. There is an expectation that both testing rates and pass rates will improve with this change.
The language in the proposed substitute was agreed upon with the DOL.
(Neutral) Many students do have anxiety, and some schools charge a fee for the exam up front in order to encourage students to sit for the exam after completion of training. This improved testing rates.
(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative Tarleton, prime sponsor; Alex Hur, Northwest Career Colleges Federation; Jerry Ahern, Gene Juarez Academy; and Michael Shea, The Salon Professional Academy.
(Neutral) Sylvia Garcia, Spokane Community College
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.