OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
42
H.B. 158 Bill Analysis
135th General Assembly
Click here for H.B. 158’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Reported by Senate Government Oversight
Primary Sponsors: Reps. Roemer and M. Miller
Effective Date:
Kailey Henry, Research Analyst
SUMMARY
Cosmetology and Barber licensing laws
School licenses
 Eliminates the barber school license and school of cosmetology license, and instead
creates a single school license.
 Establishes the requirements for an applicant to be issued a school license that are similar
to current law requirements.
 Allows a school to employ individuals who are not licensed barber instructors to teach
subjects related to business and management at the school.
 Allows an applicant meeting the bill’s requirements to renew an expired barber school or
school of cosmetology license as a school license, and extends the licensing term for a
barber school license set to expire on August 31, 2024 or 2026, until January 31, 2025 or
2027, depending on the bill’s effective date.
Disciplinary actions
 Modifies the list of reasons for which the State Cosmetology and Barber Board may take
disciplinary action against a person for a violation of the Barber Law.
 Makes changes to the amount of a fine the Board may impose for a violation of the Barber
Law and requires the Board to certify a fine that remains unpaid for 91 days to the
Attorney General for collection.
 This analysis was prepared before the report of the Senate Government Oversight Committee appeared
in the Senate Journal. Note that the legislative history may be incomplete.
May 9, 2024
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
 Allows the Board to enter into a consent agreement with a license holder in lieu of an
adjudication under the Barber Law.
 Permits the Board to report violations of the Barber Law and Cosmetology Law to the
proper prosecuting officer.
Barber Law changes
 Modifies the requirements for an applicant to be issued a barber license by changing the
minimum age for an applicant and adding that an applicant must submit certain
documentation with the license application.
 Modifies the minimum passing score for barber examinations, and eliminates waiting
periods to reapply to retake parts of an examination and required additional study in
certain circumstances.
 Establishes a fee of not more than $100 for each time an applicant applies to take an
examination for which the applicant previously applied to take but failed to appear.
 Requires the Board to issue a temporary pre-examination work permit to practice
barbering to an individual who applies for and is eligible to take the examination required
for a barber license if the individual meets certain conditions.
 Changes the “barber teacher” and “assistant barber teacher” licenses to “barber
instructor” and “assistant barber instructor” licenses, and modifies the requirements for
an applicant to be issued a license.
 Establishes a fee of not more than $150 for the issuance or renewal of an assistant barber
instructor license.
 Modifies the requirements for an applicant to be issued a barber shop license and
specifies that a barber shop license is not transferrable from one owner to another or
from one location to another.
 Prohibits an individual from providing massage therapy, cosmetic therapy, or any other
professional service in a barber shop without a current, valid license or Board
authorization.
 Expands the list of individuals engaged in certain professions who are exempt from
regulation under the Barber Law.
Cosmetology Law changes
 Modifies the requirements an applicant must meet to be issued a cosmetology practicing
license, advanced license, or instructor license by the Board.
 Eliminates the temporary work permit allowing an individual holding an inactive
practicing, advanced, or cosmetology instructor license to practice or teach a branch of
cosmetology.
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 Removes requirements relating to education level and disclosing where an applicant is
practicing for an applicant to be issued a boutique services registration.
 Establishes civil penalties for violations of the Cosmetology Law relating to unlicensed
practice and fraud and eliminates the criminal penalties for those violations.
Changes to Barber and Cosmetology Laws
 Permits any individual to file a confidential complaint with the Board alleging that an
individual, salon, barber shop, school, or tanning facility has violated the Barber Law or
Cosmetology Law or rules adopted under either law.
 Eliminates the requirement that an applicant for an independent contractor license hold
either a barber shop or salon license and specifies the requirements the applicant must
meet to be issued the license.
 Permits, rather than requires, the Board to adopt rules to establish a continuing education
requirement for the holder of a barber, barber instructor, or assistant barber instructor
license to renew the license.
 Removes, for purposes of renewing a cosmetology license or boutique services
registration, the Board’s authority to extend the period for a licensee or registrant to
complete continuing education requirements and charge a fine for that extension.
 Allows an individual licensed in another state or country to teach the theory and practice
of barbering to apply to the Board to be issued a barber instructor or assistant barber
instructor license.
 Removes the requirement that, to be issued a license by the Board, an applicant hold a
license from a country that extends similar reciprocity to individuals holding a license the
Board issues.
 Expands the Board’s authority to develop procedures to classify as inactive a barber
license, barber instructor license, or assistant barber instructor license.
 Establishes the fees to restore an expired assistant barber instructor license and increases
the cap on the restoration fee for an expired barber license.
 Adds that the holder of an expired barber instructor or assistant barber instructor license
must pay a restoration fee to the Board to have the license restored.
 Requires the holder of an expired barber, barber instructor, assistant barber instructor,
or a practicing or advanced cosmetology license to complete continuing education
requirements for ordinary license renewal to restore the license.
 Makes the fees charged by the Board under continuing law nonrefundable.
 Establishes that the statutory amount is the ceiling for a fee and makes other changes to
the amount of fees charged under the Barber Law.
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 Allows a license or registration holder to practice barbering or a branch of cosmetology
on a dead human body at a funeral home or embalming facility.
 Requires the holder of a barber, barber instructor, or assistant barber instructor license,
independent contractor license to practice barbering, or advanced cosmetology license
to maintain the Board-issued license or an electronically generated license certification.
Cosmetology Licensure Compact
 Enters Ohio as a party to the Cosmetology Licensure Compact, the purpose of which is to
facilitate the interstate practice and regulation of cosmetology and improve public access
to and safety of cosmetology services.
 As a member of the Compact, requires Ohio to allow a cosmetologist licensed in another
member state to practice in Ohio, subject to Ohio’s laws and rules governing the practice
of cosmetology.
 Requires the Board to appoint a member to the Cosmetology Licensure Compact
Commission, a joint public agency created by the Compact to enforce the provisions and
rules of the Compact.
 Requires Ohio to submit data regarding cosmetology licensees to the Commission’s data
system, including information related to licensure, adverse action, and the presence of
investigative information.
For-profit hospitals – police officers
 Extends the Secretary of State’s existing law authority to appoint and commission police
officers for specified entities to for-profit hospitals meeting certain conditions.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cosmetology and Barber licensing laws ......................................................................................... 6
School licenses............................................................................................................................. 6
Unlicensed instructors ............................................................................................................ 7
School license fee ................................................................................................................... 8
Conversion of barber school or school of cosmetology license ............................................. 8
Disciplinary actions ...................................................................................................................... 8
Reasons for taking disciplinary action .................................................................................... 8
Types of disciplinary actions ................................................................................................... 9
Fines ...................................................................................................................................... 10
Hearings and consent agreements ....................................................................................... 10
Reporting violations.............................................................................................................. 11
Injunctions ............................................................................................................................ 11
Barber Law changes .................................................................................................................. 11
Barber licenses...................................................................................................................... 11
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Barber examinations ............................................................................................................ 12
Temporary pre-examination work permit to practice barbering ........................................ 12
Barber instructors and assistant barber instructors ............................................................ 13
Barber shops ......................................................................................................................... 14
Practice of other professions in a barber shop .................................................................... 14
Professions exempt from the Barber Law ............................................................................ 15
Cosmetology Law changes ........................................................................................................ 15
Cosmetology license applications ........................................................................................ 15
Temporary work permits ...................................................................................................... 16
Boutique services registration .............................................................................................. 16
Braiding and the practice of braiding ................................................................................... 16
Practice of natural hair styling .............................................................................................. 16
Advanced cosmetology licenses ........................................................................................... 16
Penalties for violations of the Cosmetology Law ................................................................. 17
Changes to Barber and Cosmetology Laws ............................................................................... 18
Complaints ............................................................................................................................ 18
Independent contractor licenses.......................................................................................... 18
License renewal and continuing education .......................................................................... 19
License endorsement ........................................................................................................... 20
Inactive license restoration .................................................................................................. 20
Restoration of an expired license ......................................................................................... 21
Fees ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Infection control ................................................................................................................... 22
Practice in a funeral home.................................................................................................... 23
License maintenance ............................................................................................................ 23
Administration ........................................................................................................................... 24
State Cosmetology and Barber Board membership ............................................................. 24
Annual report ....................................................................................................................... 24
Cosmetology Licensure Compact.................................................................................................. 25
State participation in the Compact ........................................................................................... 25
Home state licensure................................................................................................................. 26
Multistate license to practice cosmetology .............................................................................. 26
Temporary special occasion work permits ........................................................................... 27
Adverse actions ......................................................................................................................... 27
Cosmetology Licensure Compact Commission ......................................................................... 28
Powers and duties ................................................................................................................ 28
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Data system .......................................................................................................................... 29
Commission finances ............................................................................................................ 29
Executive Committee ........................................................................................................... 30
Meetings ............................................................................................................................... 30
Rulemaking ........................................................................................................................... 30
Qualified immunity, defense, and indemnification.............................................................. 31
Enforcement and dispute resolution ........................................................................................ 31
Conflict with state law ......................