April 29, 2026

HEADLINES

• Hour Reduction Bill Advances in North Carolina
• Sunset Bill Updates from California, Colorado, and Oklahoma
• Cosmetology Compact Updates from Delaware and Massachusetts

THIS WEEK IN THE STATES

The last week April finds 26 state legislatures actively meeting – including Florida meeting in special session from April 28th to May 1st to address Congressional redistricting, as well artificial intelligence safeguards and expanded vaccine exemptions for K-12 students. According to Politico, Governor Ron Desantis’ proposed Congressional map “would be expected to flip four Democratic-held House seats to Republicans, likely putting Reps. Darren Soto, Kathy Castor, Jared Moskowitz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz out of work. The state’s delegation would shift from 20 Republicans and eight Democrats to an even more lopsided 24-4.”

Another wave of legislative adjournment will take place next week with Arkansas (5/7), Connecticut (5/6), Hawaii (5/8) and Vermont (5/8) scheduled to adjourn for the year. Additionally, May 7, 2206, is the end of South Carolina’s legislative session calendar, however limited legislative activity may continue until a May 14, 2026, sine die adjournment resolution.

HOUR REDUCTION BILL ADVANCES IN NORTH CAROLINA

The North Carolina Senate Regulatory Committee unanimously reported a bipartisan cosmetology hour reduction bill with amendments on Tuesday. SB 808 would reduce the course of instruction for cosmetology from 1,500 to 1,200 hours; establish a 900-hour hair design license; allow hair designers to stack esthetician and manicurist licenses by completing 300 and 100 hours, respectively; eliminate apprenticeship licensure, and; reduce the course of instruction required for cosmetology teachers from 800 to 500 hours.

The bill would also reduce annual continuing education requirement from 8 to 4 hours and replace the 300-hour natural hair care specialist license with a 10-hour infection control certification. An official bill summary can be found here. 

At the hearing, Lynda Elliot, Executive Director of the Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners, called for the natural hair care specialist license to be reduced to 100 hours instead of being replaced by a 10-hour infection control certificate. Senator Moffitt, Co-Chair of the Committee, indicated that he was fine with the bill as drafted as 37 states do not regulate natural hair braiding.

The non-technical amendments adopted by the Committee would provide for mobile cosmetic art establishments and allow natural hair braiding to be performed at festivals and fairs.

SB 808 has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee. 

Why this is important: The bipartisan bill is likely to move through the Senate. The last three states to reduce the course of instruction for cosmetology – New Hampshire (1,200), Oklahoma (1,250), and Utah (1,250) -- have reduced to 1,200 or 1,250 hours. Washington, DC, is also in the process of reducing cosmetology and barbering instruction from 1,500 hours to 1,250 hours. 

SUNSET BILL UPDATES

California SB 1363, which would extend the sunset of the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology until January 1, 2031, was unanimously reported from the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Committee last week. The measure, which includes language requiring apprentices to be “employed by the owner of a licensed establishment,” will be referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee before being considered on the Senate floor. 

Colorado’s sunset bill received final legislative approval last Wednesday with a 28 to 6 Senate vote. In addition to extending the state’s barbering and cosmetology Act until September 1, 2033, HB 26-1181 specifies that certain services and providers – including electrologists and persons providing makeup application – are exempt from the Act. Once enrolled, the bill will be transmitted to Governor Jared Polis (D) for signature into law. 

In Oklahoma, a Senate floor amendment to the state’s sunset bill (HB 3000) was filed last week to address the Governor Kevin Skitt’s concerns with the Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. It would extend Board’s sunset from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2031, and modify the membership of the Board by requiring each of the 11 members to meet certain professional and geographic criteria. Most significantly, it would require all licenses issued under the Board’s authority to be issued by Service Oklahoma – the state agency that issues driver’s licenses.

A separate bill – HB 3320 – which would remove sunset date from the Board of Cosmetology and Barbering and other occupation licensing entities was favorably from the Senate Rules Committee last week by a vote of 15 to 2. Instead, the measure would allow the legislature to place any statutory entity under a one-year sunset review process.

Why this is important: Since sunset review bill are “must pass,” AACS closely monitors their progression. The pending floor amendment to Oklahoma SB 3000 provides a pathway to enactment. In a nutshell, it would retain the Cosmetology and Barbering Board as a regulatory and enforcement entity, while Service Oklahoma will become the “customer service” entity for beauty industry professionals seeking to obtain or renew a license.

BRIEFLY NOTED

Delaware’s Senate voted unanimously last week to pass a Cosmetology Licensure Compact bill. SB 217 is currently awaiting transmission to the House.

In Massachusetts, the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure reported a study order (S3063) for the Commonwealth’s Cosmetology Licensure Compact bill. This will allow the Joint Committee to future investigate and study the measure.  

UPCOMING HEARING

Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. South Carolina Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee Hearing on H4752

H4752 contains provisions to increase the course of instruction for esthetics to 600-hours and establish a 1,100-hour hair design license. The bill would also eliminate post-licensure barbering apprenticeships, combine the state's barbering and cosmetology boards, and establish dedicated cosmetology and barber school seats on the new combined board.

IN THE NEWS...

Mississippi instructors see benefits after practical cosmetology exam eliminated

BILL TRACKING & QUESTIONS

Please visit the AACS State Legislative Tracking page to access bill text and to see what may be pending in your state(s). Please note that this resource contains bills not listed in this report that may be of interest or concern to your school or business.

Please contact StateGR@myaacs.org with comments or questions.