COLUMBUS, Ohio—Yesterday, Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law HB 238 which includes provisions removing burdensome barriers for those wanting to cut, clean, and braid hair and to thread and apply makeup. The bill will help expand jobs in a field that has long been overregulated and priced out people wishing to participate. The Institute for Justice (IJ) is a nationally recognized proponent of reducing barriers to work and has supported ending these regulations, including providing expert testimony.
“This is another positive step toward making it easier for people to earn a living and succeed in Ohio,” said IJ Director of Legislation Meagan Forbes. “Using one of the best-in-the nation sunset review process, state legislators repealed scores of regulations that were burdensome red tape far beyond what consumers needed to protect their own health and safety.”
Specifically, HB 238 allows for:
- The expansion of the scope of practice of the 450-hour natural-hair-styling license to allow for hair cutting as well as arranging, dressing, pressing, curling, or singeing hair.
- Expanding boutique services to include shampooing and allowing for rinsing hair.
- Removing the affidavit requirement for boutique service registrants (like braiders, threaders, and makeup artists), effectively meaning workers will no longer need to get permission from potential competitors saying they can safely perform their duties.
These provisions in the bill stem from HB 58, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Gross. The 450-hour natural hair-styling license will be one of the lowest training hour requirements to cut hair in the country.
Additionally, the enactment of HB 238 makes it easier for practitioners of boutique services, such as shampoo artists and natural hair braiders, to start working after only registering their contact information with the State Cosmetology and Barber Board.
“Earning an honest living and working for myself is a dream come true,” said natural hair braider Megan Smith-Davis of Toledo, who began petitioning for reform in 2013 and has been testifying in support of similar bills over the past 6 years. “I am thrilled that Ohio has moved forward to repeal unnecessary barriers-to-entry; braiders from Cleveland to Cincinnati and beyond now can begin to pursue our cultural and professional calling.”
All 50 states plus Washington, D.C. require a license to work as a cosmetologist. But the requirements can vary, from 233 days in New York to 963 days in Massachusetts. If a student graduates on time, it typically takes around a year to finish cosmetology school. But fewer than a third of cosmetology students graduate on time, highlighting the need for reform so that more people can start working while providing needed services to the community.
Founded in 1991, the Institute for Justice litigates nationwide to defend property rights, economic liberty, educational choice, and free speech. IJ has a long history of fighting to protect Americans’ right to earn an honest living, including more than a dozen cases across the United States focused on helping hair braiders defend their right to earn a living.
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To arrange interviews on this subject, journalists may contact Phillip Suderman, IJ’s Communications Project Manager, at [email protected] or (850) 376-4110. More information on the case is available at: https://ij.org/issues/economic-liberty/cosmetology/