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Federal Updates
The AACS Government Relations Committee and its federal advocacy team at Duane Morris LLP represents the interests of AACS members in Congress. The GRC, through the Duane Morris team, provides a bi-weekly Washington Update to AACS membership that provides the most relevant information about what is happening in Congress and at the Department that may impact your school. We encourage all AACS members to read the Washington Update to keep up to date on developments and calls to action. We urge each and every AACS member school to set up a call with the Senators and House members who represent your school locations, and consider hosting a fundraiser. We will make it easy for you. Just call our lead advocate, Katherine Brodie at Duane Morris LLP in Washington, D.C. to learn how you can get more involved and help make a difference to your school, employees and students. Katherine can be reached at: kdbrodie@duanemorris.com or (202) 776-5241.
State Update
Ohio Considers Temporary Work Permits for Barbers
Ohio’s Senate General Government and Agency Review Committee heard sponsor testimony last week on a COVID-19 relief bill that would establish a temporary pre-examination work permit for individuals waiting to take the state’s barbering licensure exam. Ohio law currently allows an individual issued a temporary pre-examination work permit to “practice the branch of cosmetology for which the individual seeks a practicing license until the date the individual is scheduled to take an examination.” HB 673 would also define “limited events” to include an on-location wedding or event and allow an individual who is licensed to provide cosmetology and barbering services to provide services at such events “without an additional license or permit” if the services provided are incidental to their practice in a salon or barber shop.
HB 673 was unanimously passed by the House in June. Ohio legislative committees typically conduct multiple hearings on a bill before voting on it.
Kansas Lawsuit Seeks to Deregulate Threading
The Kansas Justice Institute filed a lawsuit last week against the state’s Board of Cosmetology seeking to end the licensing requirement for eyebrow threaders. The case’s plaintiffs and their attorneys argue that the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights section 1 “protects the right to earn an honest living, to conduct business free from unreasonable governmental interference, and to be free from unreasonable government restrictions.”
Page 19 of their Petition for Declaratory Judgement states “Kansas’ cosmetology and esthetician laws, regulations, and policies, as applied to Plaintiffs, violates Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights section 1.” In a separate newspaper column, Daryl James from the Institute for Justice indicates that “previous lawsuits from the Institute for Justice already have ended occupational licensing for threaders in Texas, Louisiana and Arizona. None of those states required more than 750 hours of irrelevant training, far below the Kansas standard. Yet the Texas Supreme Court, which intervened in 2015, determined that the useless licensing requirement in the Lone Star State was not only unreasonable and harsh, but also ‘oppressive.’”
The text of the Ohio bill listed in this report can be found in AACS’ Bill Tracking Portal.
Contact Brian Newman at bnewman@abingdonstrategies.com or by phone at 202-491-5254 with comments or questions.
COVID-19 Resources
This page contains a running list of state reopening guidance for salons and other personal care businesses.
AACS Coronavirus Resource Center
The bottom of this page contains a running list of state distance learning guidance. It was compiled with assistance from the AACS State Relations Committee and/or a review of state board websites. Accordingly, developments may be occurring faster than our ability to capture/report on them. Please contact your state regulator(s) for the most current information.
State and Local Government Responses to Covid-19
Stateside Associates, a state and local government relations firm, has created a chart with state legislative actions, executive agency actions, gubernatorial actions, and local government actions related to the outbreak of the coronavirus. Executive actions closing retail and “non-essential” businesses will be of interest.
PBA/Stateside Associates Report: Reopening of State and Local Economies
Updated November 20, 2020
National Governors Association Coronavirus Updates
COVID-19 State Legislation – National Conference of State Legislatures
