State Update - December 10

December 10, 2025

HEADLINES

• 46 State Legislatures to Convene in 2026
• Florida Proposes Transferring Barbering and Cosmetology Oversight 
• New Jersey Textured Hair Bill Continues to Advance
• ND Finalizes Apprenticeship and Advanced Esthetics Regulations

THIS WEEK IN THE STATES

The current week finds seven state legislatures in session – including Indiana where House members voted 57 to 41 last week to approve a new Congressional map that would target the state’s two incumbent Democrats. Redistricting now heads to the State Senate where at least 25 votes are needed for passage. Senate Republican Leader Rodrick Bray has consistently opposed redistricting but would not say on Monday whether his caucus had enough votes to pass the measure being pushed by President Trump.

2026 LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS

46 states will be conducting legislative sessions in 2026. The four states without a regularly scheduled 2026 legislative session are Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas. 

All states – except for Arkansas and North Carolina – will be commencing their respective legislative sessions in January or February and most will adjourn for the year before Memorial Day. 

Click here for a chart of state legislative session dates.  

2026 BILL INTRODUCTIONS

Florida State Representative Yarkosky (R), the Vice Chair of the House Education and Employment Committee, filed a multi-occupation licensure reform bill last week that impacts barbering and cosmetology licensure authority and oversight in the Sunshine State. Most significantly, the bill would transfer barbering and cosmetology licensure and oversight from the Barbers’ Board and the Board of Cosmetology to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The bill would also eliminate continuing education requirements for barbers and cosmetologists – and 14 other professions – and extend licensure expiration and renewal periods for all DBPR professions to every four years.  

HB 607 is currently in the House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee which has calendared the bill for a hearing on Thursday, December 11, 2025.  

A bipartisan Indiana Bill to establish a stand-alone 600-hour electrologist license was introduced last week. Under current law, Indiana electrologists must first obtain a cosmetology or esthetics license before completing a 300-hour of instruction in electrology. HB 1030 has been referred to the House Employment, Labor and Pensions Committee. 

Missouri State Representative Willard Haley (R) pre-filed HB 1630 last week. The measure, which is similar to bills introduced in 2024 and 2025, would establish a combined esthetics and manicuring license that requires a 1,150-hour course of instruction at a school or a 2,300-hour apprenticeship.

Why this is important: State legislators have begun filing 2026 bills that may be of interest or concert. In a few instances, such as Florida, legislators are also conducting hearings on 2026 legislation.

BRIEFLY NOTED

Prior to Thanksgiving, the New Jersey Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee favorably reported A3882 and S2495 to the Assembly Appropriations Committee with a committee amendment. As previously reported, the identical measures would require Garden State schools to teach and train cosmetology-hairstyling, beauty culture, barbering, and hair braiding students to work with textured hair. This includes training on working with hair with various coil, curl, and wave patterns; hair strand thickness; and volumes of hair. The Committee amendment added language that would require one of the members of the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling to have textured hair experience and training.  

Final North Dakota regulations to implement HB 1126 have been posted and will become effective on January 1, 2026. They specify a curriculum for the advanced esthetics program established by the Act and provide for U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeships for cosmetology (2,800 hours), esthetics (2,250 hours), and manicuring (2,250 hours). Under the regulations, apprenticeship hours are non-transferable to North Dakota-licensed beauty schools and school hours cannot be applied towards a registered apprenticeship program. 

Why this is important: New Jersey is likely to become the eighth state to require textured hair training.

UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE HEARING

Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. – New Jersey Assembly Regulated Professions Committee Hearing on A4630

The measure would provide for New Jersey’s entry into the Cosmetology Licensure Compact. Assemblymember Sterley Stanley, the Chair of the Regulated Professions Committee, is a primary bill sponsor.

BILL TRACKING & QUESTIONS

Please visit our enhanced 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.