LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
[Second Reprint]
ASSEMBLY, No. 1925
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
DATED: SEPTEMBER 27, 2024
SUMMARY
Synopsis: Modifies languages that examinations are to be conducted in for
applicants seeking professional license issued by New Jersey State
Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling.
Type of Impact: Annual State expenditure increase.
Agencies Affected: Department of Law and Public Safety.
Office of Legislative Services Estimate
Fiscal Impact Annual
State Cost -
(1)Document Translation Rate of $0.15 to $0.17 per word, plus
Services $39.50 per hour for desktop publishing,
for up to four additional languages
(2) Oral Interpretation Rate of $53,400 per 1,000 hours
Services for up to four additional languages
 The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) determines that the New Jersey State Board of
Cosmetology and Hairstyling in the Division of Consumer Affairs will incur indeterminate
annual costs under the bill to provide written and practical examinations in up to four additional
languages. The division will additionally incur some periodic administrative costs, but these
could likely be subsumed within existing staff resources.
 The OLS is unable to estimate the total costs of the document translation services and
interpretation services required under the bill because of various unknown factors, such as the
length of the documents requiring translation and the number of practical exams that would be
administered annually in the newly required languages.
 The OLS also determines that widening the number of languages in which the examinations
are offered may increase the number of licensees in this career field, thereby increasing
revenues by an indeterminate amount annually from license fees.
Office of Legislative Services Legislative Budget and Finance Office
State House Annex Phone (609) 847-3105
P.O. Box 068 Fax (609) 777-2442
Trenton, New Jersey 08625 www.njleg.state.nj.us
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BILL DESCRIPTION
This bill modifies current law by requiring the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and
Hairstyling to offer its practical and written examinations in the four most commonly spoken
languages in the State in addition to English, unless the selected languages are determined by the
Division of Consumer Affairs to not be in compliance with current law concerning the translation
of vital documents and interpretation services provided by government entities. Practicing
licensees would also be allowed the use of a translator in the four selected languages.
Current law only requires the board to provide the examinations in English, with the option of
Spanish in the case of practicing licensees who may also be approved by the board for the use of
a translator.
If the board is deemed compliant with current law regarding the languages in which the
examinations are to be conducted, the division is to consult the American Community Survey
issued by the United States Census Bureau, or another comparable data set, to determine the four
other most commonly spoken languages in the State and then post on its website the languages in
which the practical and written examination will be offered. The division is to verify, at least every
five years, the four most commonly spoken languages, other than English, in New Jersey.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS determines that the State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling in the Division of
Consumer Affairs will incur indeterminate annual costs under the bill to provide written and
practical examinations in up to four additional languages. The division will additionally incur
some periodic administrative costs, but these could likely be absorbed within existing staff
resources. Current law only requires the board to provide the examinations in English, with the
option of Spanish only in the case of practicing licensees who may also be approved by the board
for the use of a translator. For the purposes of this analysis, the OLS assumes that at least some
Spanish language documentation and translation services would need to be provided. Spanish is
the most commonly spoken language in the State after English. The OLS is unable to estimate the
total costs of the document translation services and interpretation services required under the bill
because of various unknown factors, such as the length of the documents requiring translation and
the number of practical exams that would be administered annually in the newly required
languages.
For context, the OLS solicited translation rates from one provider serving State government
entities. That provider charges $0.15 per word to translate documents into that vendor’s 12 most
requested languages of Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Arabic, Russian, Farsi, Vietnamese,
Swahili, Somali, Korean, French, Portuguese, German, and Italian. A language such as Tagalog,
Hindi, Gujarati, or Polish would cost either $0.16 or $0.17 per word. Document translations also
incur an additional cost of $39.50 per hour for desktop publishing. That same provider charges
$0.89 per minute for video remote interpretation services.
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The OLS also determines that widening the number of languages in which the examinations
are offered may increase the number of licensees in this career field, thereby increasing revenues
by an indeterminate amount annually from license fees.
Section: Law and Public Safety
Analyst: Kristin Brunner Santos
Lead Fiscal Analyst
Approved: Thomas Koenig
Legislative Budget and Finance Officer
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the
failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).


Statutes affected:
Introduced: 45:5B-27