TDLR advisory board recommends public comment on sweeping rules to merge barbering and cosmetology

The TDLR Barbering and Cosmetology Advisory Board voted Aug. 19 to recommend publication of a proposed rule package implementing HB 1560 that would consolidate Texas barbering and cosmetology programs into a single barbering and cosmetology program and change licensing, curriculum and inspection rules.

Assistant General Counsel Molly Pudell told the board, “These are the rules that implement h b 15 60,” and summarized changes including unified establishment and school licenses, updated health and safety standards and revised curriculum standards. Derek Burkhalter, assistant general counsel, described the transition plan: “So the transition plan essentially has 3 dates, where different parts of it take effect.” Staff said key milestone dates are Jan. 1, 2023 (many standards take effect), Aug. 1, 2023 (new curriculum standards), and Sept. 1, 2023 (database conversion and new license types).

Why it matters: the package standardizes requirements across the two occupations, removes some prior education barriers, and alters inspection and continuing-education obligations. Highlights presented to the board included a unified minimum age of 17, the removal of statutory GED/grade-level prerequisites so schools may set entry requirements, continuing education set at 4 hours per license term (including a required sanitation hour and a required hour on human trafficking prevention), and a change from periodic to risk-based inspections.

Board members and staff discussed implementation details and potential effects. Staff said out-of-state or foreign applicants may receive substantial-equivalence credit for work history up to 300 hours, some curricula were reorganized (for example, allowing cosmetology operator and class A barber students to share 700 of 1,000 hours), and certain specialty curricula were reduced (manicurist/aesthetician from 1,200 to 800 hours in the draft). Staff also noted operational limits such as schools may not award credit for more than 184 hours per month under the new standards.

Public process and vote: staff told the board the rule text and fee calculations will be published in the Texas Register and that publication will start a 30-day written public-comment period. After public comments are collected and summarized, the advisory board will review them in a meeting tentatively scheduled for late October–mid November and may recommend revisions before the commission considers adoption. Laura Valdez moved to send the rules to publication for comment; Ron Jemison seconded. The roll call vote was unanimous among members present and the motion passed.

Next steps: staff said they will publish the draft and outreach summaries online, hold informational summits around the state and return to the advisory board with public comments and proposed edits. The department indicated many specific implementation details (including final fees) will be included in the Texas Register filing and in subsequent outreach materials.

The board did not adopt final rule text at this meeting; it recommended publication for public comment and will revisit the package after the 30-day comment period.