OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
H.B. 399 Bill Analysis
133rd General Assembly
Click here for H.B. 399’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Introduced
Primary Sponsor: Rep. Powell
Effective Date:
Kailey Henry, Research Associate
Christopher Edwards, Attorney
SUMMARY
Cosmetology and Barber Licensing Laws
 Merges the Barber Law into the Cosmetology Licensing Law.
License elimination and creation
 Eliminates the current law licensing requirements for barber instructors, barber shops,
and barber schools and instead requires applicants to meet the requirements for
licensure for cosmetology instructors, salons, and schools of cosmetology, respectively.
 Eliminates the assistant barber teacher license, and instead requires the State
Cosmetology and Barber Board to adopt rules establishing requirements for an assistant
barber instructor.
 Eliminates advanced level licenses for cosmetologists, estheticians, hair designers,
manicurists, and natural hair stylists, and allows an individual holding an advanced
license to either convert the license to an instructor license or maintain and renew the
advanced license indefinitely.
 Eliminates the independent contractor license and instead requires independent
contractors to register with the Board, and comply with rules adopted by the Board
establishing registration standards.
 Eliminates separate licenses for boutique, esthetics, hair design, nail, and natural hair
stylist salons and instead requires only salons to be licensed.
 Creates an intermediate cosmetology license to be issued to an individual who will
complete 1,500 hours of cosmetology training by the bill’s effective date, or is a student
on that date who elects to complete that training, and satisfies specified requirements.
November 20, 2019
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
 Requires the Board to create a special event permit that allows an individual to practice
barbering or cosmetology on a limited and temporary basis in a place that is not
licensed as a salon, barber shop, cosmetology school, or barber school.
 Eliminates the temporary work permit allowing an individual holding an inactive license
to practice a branch of cosmetology.
 Changes the term “practice of hair design” to “practice of hair styling” and expands
what constitutes that practice, and thus changes “hair designer” and “hair design
instructor” licenses to “hair stylist” and “hair stylist instructor” licenses.
 Requires the Board to adopt rules for issuing licenses to mobile salons and barber shops,
including criteria for a mobile salon or barber shop to obtain a license.
License requirements
 Reduces the required hours of initial instruction for a cosmetology, hair stylist, or barber
license and allows a licensed barber who has been practicing for five years to test out of
the required training for an initial hair stylist license.
 Establishes hours of minimum instruction in specific subjects for an individual to obtain
an initial cosmetology license.
 Creates a process under which a cosmetology student may take the written portion of
the licensing examination before the student has completed the training hours required
for a license.
 Requires a cosmetology or barber licensing examination to be a national, standardized
examination.
 Removes certain requirements for a cosmetology instructor’s license and instead
requires the Board to adopt standards in rules for issuing the licenses.
 Modifies the requirements that must be met for the Board to issue a license by
endorsement to an applicant who is licensed or registered in another state or country.
Licensing procedures
 Removes, for purposes of renewing a license or registration, the Board’s authority to
extend the period for a licensee to complete continuing education requirements and
charge a fine for that extension.
 Changes the amount of the surety bond a cosmetology school or barber school seeking
licensure must file with the Board.
 Eliminates the requirement that a boutique services registrant complete any continuing
education requirements the Board establishes.
 Limits the Board’s ability to restore an inactive license or registration until the Board
receives satisfactory proof of completion of continuing education requirements.
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 Allows distance education to be used to meet certain education and continuing
education requirements and requires the Board to adopt rules establishing standards
for distance education.
 Requires the Board to process applications to open a new salon or barber shop within
five days after receiving the application.
 Eliminates the current law requirement that a salon or cosmetology school license
holder display the license in a public and conspicuous place in the salon or school.
Fees and fines
 Makes changes to the amount of the fees charged by the Board for the issuance of
licenses and allows the Board to reduce fines and fees as it considers appropriate.
 Extends, from 90 to 180 days, the length of time in which a fine for a violation of the law
must be paid and removes the Board’s authority to charge interest or an additional
penalty on the fine.
Apprenticeship program
 Requires the Board to establish an apprenticeship program for apprentice
cosmetologists and barbers who are not licensed but are training under a license holder.
 Eliminates the current law prohibition on teaching cosmetology at a salon to an
individual who is not licensed and does not have a special permit granted by the Board.
Complaints
 Permits any individual to file a confidential complaint with the Board alleging that an
individual, salon, barber shop, barber school, cosmetology school, or tanning facility has
violated the law or rules adopted under it.
State Cosmetology and Barber Board
 Converts the licensed independent contractor member of the Board to a registered
independent contractor member and allows the esthetician member to be licensed in
esthetics or cosmetology.
 Requires the Board to adhere to a set agenda when conducting its duties.
 Makes changes to the due date and contents of the written report the Board must
prepare under current law.
Infection control
 Replaces “sanitary,” “sanitation,” and “sanitize” with the terms “disinfect” or
“disinfection” and “infection control” and defines those terms.
 Requires the Board to annually review the sanitation standards and to prepare a
summary of the standards written at a sixth grade reading level.
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As Introduced
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Boutique services
 Changes the term “boutique services” to the “practice of boutique services” and
expands that practice to include both eye lash extension services and wig styling and
application and removes make-up artistry from boutique services.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
Cosmetology and Barber Licensing Laws ........................................................................................ 5
License elimination and creation .................................................................................................... 5
Instructor licenses ....................................................................................................................... 5
Assistant barber instructors ........................................................................................................ 6
Advanced licenses ....................................................................................................................... 6
Independent contractor registrations......................................................................................... 7
Salon licenses .............................................................................................................................. 7
Intermediate cosmetology licenses ............................................................................................ 8
Special event permits .................................................................................................................. 8
Temporary work permits............................................................................................................. 8
Hair stylists .................................................................................................................................. 8
Mobile salons and barber shops ................................................................................................. 9
License requirements...................................................................................................................... 9
Barber shops and barber schools ................................................................................................ 9
Barber shops ........................................................................................................................... 9
Barber schools ...................................................................................................................... 10
Cosmetology and hair stylist licenses ....................................................................................... 10
Barber license requirements ..................................................................................................... 11
Examinations ............................................................................................................................. 12
Licensure by endorsement ........................................................................................................ 12
Licensing procedures .................................................................................................................... 13
License or registration renewal ................................................................................................. 13
School surety bonds .................................................................................................................. 13
Inactive license guidelines and restoration............................................................................... 14
Restoration of an expired license.............................................................................................. 14
Distance education .................................................................................................................... 14
Application processing .............................................................................................................. 15
License display ........................................................................................................................... 15
Fees and fines ............................................................................................................................... 15
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Fees............................................................................................................................................ 15
Fines for violations .................................................................................................................... 18
Apprenticeship program ............................................................................................................... 18
Complaints .................................................................................................................................... 19
State Cosmetology and Barber Board........................................................................................... 19
Revised Board membership ...................................................................................................... 19
Meeting agenda ........................................................................................................................ 20
Annual report ............................................................................................................................ 20
Disinfect, disinfection, and infection control................................................................................ 20
Practice of boutique services ........................................................................................................ 21
Braiding and the practice of braiding ........................................................................................... 22
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Cosmetology and Barber Licensing Laws
The Ohio Barber Board and the State Board of Cosmetology were combined into the
State Cosmetology and Barber Board by H.B. 49 of the 132nd General Assembly (the main
appropriations act), regulating the practices of barbering and the branches of cosmetology. The
bill merges the contents of the Barber Law into the Cosmetology Licensing Law.1
License elimination and creation
Instructor licenses
The bill eliminates the requirements under current law for barber teachers to satisfy to
obtain a barber teacher license and instead requires the Board to adopt standards in rule for
issuing barber instructor and cosmetology licenses. Under current law, an applicant for a barber
teacher license must have 18 months of work experience in a barber shop or one year as an
assistant barber teacher. The bill instead requires an applicant for a barber instructor’s license
to meet the same requirements one must satisfy to be a cosmetology instructor. With respect
to cosmetology instructor licenses, the bill eliminates the requirement to complete a specific
number of hours of practice with a licensed professional or training at a cosmetology school as
an apprentice instructor. Instead, for both barber and cosmetology instructors, the bill requires
an applicant to provide proof of sufficient relevant experience as determined by the Board and
to meet the standards set by the Board in the new rules.
1R.C. Chapter 4709, repealed; with conforming changes in R.C. 2925.01, 3333.26, 4743.05, 4745.01, and
4776.20 and R.C. Chapter 4713.
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Under continuing law for cosmetology instructors, and under the bill for barber
instructors, an applicant also must be at least 18 years old, of good moral character, possess
the equivalent of a 12th grade education, pay an application and a license fee (as added by the
bill for cosmetology instructors), have a photograph taken by the Board, meet the training and
experience requirements established by the Board, and pass an examination.2
Assistant barber instructors
The bill eliminates the assistant barber teacher license issued by the Board, and instead
requires the Board to adopt rules establishing requirements for an assistant barber instructor.
An “assistant barber instructor” is an individual holding a barber license who is engaged in
learning or acquiring knowledge at a barber school to become a barber instructor. 3 An assistant
barber instructor may teach the theory or practice of barbering at a barber school without a
barber instructor license or temporary special occasion work permit.4
Advanced licenses
The bill eliminates advanced level licenses for cosmetologists, estheticians, hair
designers, manicurists, and natural hair stylists. Currently, an applicant who meets the
requirements for a practicing license in cosmetology or a branch of cosmetology may apply for
an advanced license in the applicant’s respective branch of cosmetology. If the individual meets
an experience requirement, completes the required hours of advanced training, and passes an
advanced examination in that branch of cosmetology, the individual may be issued the
advanced license.5
An individual who, on the bill’s effective date, holds an advanced license in a branch of
cosmetology may do either of the following:
 Convert the advanced license to a cosmetology instructo