The bill amends existing South Dakota law to require the Cosmetology Commission to credit work experience towards educational hours for certain out-of-state licensure applicants. Specifically, it mandates that if an applicant holds a license from another state, district, or foreign country that is not equivalent to a South Dakota cosmetology, nail technology, or esthetics license, the commission must allow credit for relevant work experience. The bill stipulates that two hours of work experience will equate to one hour of required school education, with the caveat that only work experience obtained after initial licensure can be credited, and it cannot exceed half of the total educational hours required for the license.

Additionally, the bill outlines that applicants must provide documentation of their work experience in a manner specified by the commission. The commission retains the authority to deny a license if it determines the applicant lacks competency, regardless of the work experience submitted. Furthermore, if the work experience was gained more than five years prior to the application, the commission may require the applicant to complete a safety and infection control procedures course. The bill also includes various amendments to existing sections of the law, such as changing the commission's authority from "may" to "shall" in certain contexts and removing outdated provisions related to examination requirements.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 01/28/2026: 36-15-13, 36-15-19.2