FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1063

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.

Background:

The Department of Licensing (Department) regulates cosmetology, barbering, manicuring, and esthetics. A person must be licensed to practice these professions. A barber license allows the cutting, trimming, arranging, dressing, curling, shampooing, shaving, and mustache and beard design of the face, neck, and scalp. A cosmetology license allows all these practices and, in addition, allows the following practices involving chemicals: permanent waving, chemical relaxing, straightening, bleaching, lightening, and coloring. The license also allows waxing and tweezing. Finally, the cosmetologist license also allows some of the practices permitted for manicurists and estheticians. To receive a license, a person must meet training requirements and pass an exam.

Washington does not have a license that allows only barbering and the use of chemicals. To use chemicals, a practitioner must obtain a cosmetology license.

To be eligible for a cosmetology license, an applicant must demonstrate that he or she has at least 1,600 training hours in a school or 2,000 hours of apprenticeship. For barbers, the requirement is 1,000 hours in school or 1,200 hours of apprenticeship.

A person with the equivalent license in another state may take the examination without meeting the applicable training or apprenticeship requirements. The Department prepares and administers the exams, establishes minimum safety and sanitation standards, adopts rules, and otherwise administers the licensing provisions. The Cosmetology, Barbering, Esthetics, and Manicuring Advisory Board (Board) advises the Department on matters relating to licensing of the relevant professions. The Board consists of representatives of each profession appointed by the Director of the Department.

Summary:

A new license is created for hair design, which includes cutting, styling, extensions, straightening, and coloring of hair. In order to obtain a hair design license, the applicant must have 1,400 hours of training or 1,750 hours of apprenticeship. The Department is granted rule-making authority to establish minimum safety and sanitation standards for hair designers and hair designers are added to the Board that advises the state on matters of cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, and manicuring.

Online training of license applicants is permitted.

Instructors in curriculum programs for cosmetology, hair design, barbering, manicuring, esthetics, or master esthetics may forego 300 hours of training with evidence of prior experience in those fields or all 500 hours with evidence of 500 hours of experience as an instructor in another state.

Votes on Final Passage:

House	93	5
Senate	49	0