State Update - February 4

February 4, 2026

HEADLINES

• Idaho Cosmetology Hour Reduction Bill Advances
• Sunset Bills Introduced in Arizona and Colorado
• AACS-Member Advocacy Helps Carry Over Virginia Barbershop Trainee Bill
• Deregulation Bill Introduced in West Virginia 

THIS WEEK IN THE STATES

The first week of February finds 41 state legislatures actively meeting. The following states will be commencing their respective 2026 state legislative sessions this or next week. 

February 2 – Oklahoma and Oregon

February 4 – Connecticut

February 9 – Wyoming 

COSMETOLOGY HOUR REDUCTION BILL ADVANCES IN IDAHO

The House Business Committee favorably reported a cosmetology hour reduction bill to the House floor last week. The measure – introduced as HB 513 and advanced from the Committee as HB 547 – would reduce the course of instruction for cosmetology at a school from 1,600 to 1,000 hours effective January 1, 2027. Similarly, apprenticeship training would be reduced from 3,200 to 2,000 hours. House passage is expected on Monday, February 2nd. 

The Committee also favorably reported an early testing bill (HB 514) to the House floor.  

Why this is important: Only two Representatives – out of 18 on the Committee – voted against the hour reduction bill. According to a news article, the bill’s sponsor said, “reducing Idaho’s hour requirement for the license to 1,000 hours puts the state on par with seven other states, including Texas, New York and Massachusetts and moves the number of hours closer to what’s required for other professional licenses.”

He also singled out a 2025 National Bureau of Economic Research study that “found that lowering the required education hours is beneficial to students, it raises their completion rate, lowers tuition and expands enrollment of certain types of students.”

ARIZONA AND COLORADO LEGISLATORS CONSIDER SUNSET BILLS

Legislators in Arizona and Colorado are advancing barbering and cosmetology sunset bills that would extend the states’ current licensure model until 2034 and 2037, respectively.

In Arizona, a bill (SB 1563) to extend the sunset of the Grand Canyon State’s Board of Barbering and Cosmetology to July 31, 2034, was introduced yesterday by State Senator Tim Dunn (R). Sunset review recommendations identified by the Arizona State Auditor’s office that require legislative action were introduced by Senator Dunn in a separate bill – SB 1518. These include modernizing the state’s definition of esthetics, adding eyelash extensions and certain fascial hair chemical treatments to the definition of cosmetology, and providing the Board with cease-and-desist authority.    

Colorado’s House Business Affairs and Labor Committee voted unanimously last week to introduce a sunset bill to address Colorado Office of Policy, Research & Regulatory Reform (COPRRR) recommendations. These include: 11-year extension of the state’s Barber and Cosmetology Act; sunset of a stakeholder Advisory Committee; and deregulation of blow dry styling and makeup application. Laura Kelly from the Institute for Justice testified at Thursday’s hearing in support of the deregulation of “niche services.”

Why this is important: Arizona and Colorado legislators are likely to pass relatively long barbering and cosmetology sunset bills. In both states, there will be some revisions of interest to AACS members.  

VIRGINIA CARRIES OVER BARBERSHOP TRAINEE BILL

The Virginia House Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process Subcommittee heard a “barbershop trainee” bill last month and subsequently recommend carrying it over to the 2027 legislative session. The full House General Laws Committee subsequently adopted the carry over recommendation with a voice-vote. As previously reported, this “new” pathway to licensure would be competency based and allow licensed barbershops “to employ and train barbershop trainees under the direct supervision of one or more licensed barbers.”

Paul Mitchell the School Roanoke Campus Leader Campus Leader Natasha Greene provided beneficial testimony against the bill.

Why this is important: The bill, which will not be considered further in 2026, is likely inspired by a 2025 Institute for Justice (IJ) sponsored establishment training bill in Iowa. Like Iowa before the 2025 passage of SF 711, Virginia has school and apprenticeship training options for aspiring barbering licensees.

Ms. Greene was the only non-legislative witness to testify on the bill and demonstrates the importance of participating in the legislative process with little minimal advance notice. 

WEST VIRGINIA DEREGULATION BILL INTRODUCED

A deregulation bill was recently introduced by West Virginia Delegate Kathie Crouse (R). HB 4667 would deregulate hair braiding, threading, blow dry styling, and makeup application in the Mountain State. The measure would also establish a 1,000-hour salon training program for hair styling.

The salon training program language states that “a salon that registers with the board may employ persons, without regard to the person’s licensure status, to provide the services of shampooing, cutting, coloring, and styling hair under the general supervision of a licensee who regularly provides the services. A person providing services without a license shall first complete up to four hours of education related to the barbering and cosmetology laws in this article and rules and sanitation, as approved by the board, before offering services permitted under the program.”

Why this is important: Like the Virginia House bill above, the legislation is likely partially inspired by the Institute for Justice’s 2025 efforts in Iowa. West Virginia has had barbering apprenticeships since 2012 and cosmetology apprenticeships since 2024.   

Both the IJ and the American Legislative Exchange Council have also endorsed model “niche-beauty services” deregulation bills.

MISSISSIPPI CHAIRMAN SEEKS NEW OCCUPATIONAL LICENSURE PARADIGM

State Senator Tyler McCaughn (R), the Chair of the Senate Government Structure Committee, introduced a bill last week to establish the Department of Occupational Licensure.



Why this is important: The bill – SB 2673 – brings forward numerous sections of Mississippi Code related to occupational licensing boards – including Mississippi Code § 73-7-1 which created the State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering – indicating a potential consolidation or restructuring of licensing functions under the new department.

SOUTH DAKOTA BILL WOULD ESTABLISH MASTER ESTHETICIAN LICENSE

State Representative Tesa Schwans (R), who is a beauty school graduate, and State Senator Amber Hulse (R) introduced a bill last week that would establish a “master esthetician" license in South Dakota. The new license would allow advanced estheticians to perform the following services for compensation: (1) Chemical exfoliation; (2) Dermaplaning; (3) Electrical energy treatments; (4) Microdermabrasion; (5) Microneedling; (6) Extracting impactions and comedones from follicles using lancets or needles; 7) Applying eyelash extensions using ultraviolent light; and (8) Lymphatic drainage.

The bill – HB 116 – would require 600-hours of instruction for a basic esthetics license (same as current law) and an additional 400 hours of instruction for an advanced license.

The measure has been referred to the House Commerce and Energy Committee. 

Why this is important: Neighboring North Dakota enacted a 1,100-hour advanced esthetics license last year. 

Currently, eight states and the District of Columbia offer a master or advanced practice esthetics license. Master esthetician licensure bills are currently pending in South Dakota and West Virginia.  

COSMOLOGY, ESTHETICS AND MASSAGE THERAPY COMPACT UPDATES

Alabama’s Senate voted unanimously last month to pass an Esthetics Licensure Compact adoption bill. The measure – SB 163 – has been calendared for a House Boards, Agencies and Commissions Committee hearing on Wednesday. 

A similar Virginia bill (HB 1247) will be before the House General Law Committee on Tuesday (February 3) after the House Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process Subcommittee unanimously recommended reporting it. 

Massachusetts’s Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee has calendared a Cosmetology Licensure Compact bill for a hearing on Wednesday, February 2nd. 

Cosmetology Licensure Compact bill have also been recently introduced in Delaware, Hawaii, New York, and New Jersey. 

2026 Interstate Massage Compact bills have been introduced in Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, and Vermont. In Virginia, the House of Delegates voted 96 to 0 on Monday to pass HB 579. The measure modifies the education and examination requirements of the Interstate Massage Compact to clarify acceptable national examinations and expand acceptable education programs to include massage therapists with less than 625 clock hours of education but who have held a license in good standing for at least two years.

Why this is important: The Cosmetology Licensure Compact has been adopted by 10 states, IMpact has been adopted by five states, and the much newer Esthetics Licensure Compact has not yet been ratified by a state. Each of these compacts requires seven states to adopt enabling legislation before they become active.   

IMpact is opposing Virginia SB 579. According to their website, “these proposed amendments undermine the original IMpact language passed by Virginia, create confusion for regulators, legislators, and the profession, and weaken the uniform, public-protection-focused framework that states agreed to adopt.” Additional information on why the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) opposes reopening the Compact’s model legislation can be found here. 

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.