advocacy
State Legislative Tracking Maps
STATE ISSUES AFFECTING BEAUTY, BARBER AND WELLNESS EDUCATION
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeships have garnered increased attention from federal and state policymakers. This page tracks state apprenticeship bills that:
- Establish new apprenticeship programs for cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, and nails;
- Revises the supervision of beauty-industry apprenticeships; and/or
- Changes the hour requirements for beauty-industry related apprenticeships.
Deregulation
Deregulation is the elimination – or severe reduction – of government oversight of a profession. In recent years, state bills have been introduced to deregulate barbering and cosmetology. Also, states have successfully deregulated hair braiding. Please note that this page does not include hour reduction bills for beauty-industry professions unless the education requirements are reduced to zero – or near zero.
Hour Reduction
Bills that reduce the course of instruction for beauty-industry professions – including cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, school instructors, and nail technicians/specialists – are tracked on this page.
Online & Competency-Based Education
No state bills are currently pending in this category.
- Provide beauty-industry schools with the ability to offer online and/or competency-based education programs; and
- Revise current requirements for online and/or competency-based education programs.
Regulation of Private Career School
In several states cosmetology, esthetics and barbering schools are subject to oversight by a private career school regulator. In all states, AACS member schools are subject to complaint, state authorization, and other school-related oversight provisions. Therefore, this page tracks state bills that:
- Revise state authorization for beauty-industry schools;
- Establish or revise school surety bond and/or tuition recovery fund provisions;
- Establish new disclosure requirements for schools;
- Create state standards or limitations based on employment, graduation rates, etc.
- Modify record retention requirements; and
- Establish or modify school closure procedures.
Skincare & Cosmetic Laser Use
Bills impacting esthetics and advanced esthetics – including the supervision and training requirements for non-media professional to perform cosmetic laser procedures – are tracked on this page.
State Licensure Regulation
This is a catch-all category to track state bills that:
- Change the age or high school education requirements for licensure;
- Modify the licensure requirements for individuals previously convicted of a crime;
- Add, eliminate or revise continuing education requirements;
- Modify testing procedures including allowing early testing;
- Establish new beauty-industry related licenses, such as hair design; and
- Extend the period of licensure.
Latest State Government Relation News
State Update – August 19
August 19, 2026
HEADLINES California Sunset Bill Continues to Advance2026 State Bill Enactments: Part 2 of 2…
Read More >