Committee adopts amendment returning permanent cosmetics to body‑art regulation, bans genital/areola procedures on minors

The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on voice votes adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 392 that places permanent cosmetics back within the state’s body‑art regulatory framework and reintroduces a ban on performing body art on areolae or genitalia of anyone under age 18 regardless of parental consent. Charles Thompson, attorney for the Arkansas Department of Health, described the changes as technical clarifications meant "to ensure the intent of Senator Davis's bill" and to give the department a clear framework for rulemaking.

Senator Brianne Davis, who identified herself as representing State Senate District 25, closed for the bill and said stakeholders had worked on the measure for "close to 10 months" to resolve issues left from the prior session. Davis said the changes were intended to protect both consumers and the profession. After the sponsor’s remarks the committee moved to adopt the amendment and then passed SB 392 as amended by voice vote.

The amendment clarified that permanent cosmetics would be regulated as body art and restored language making it unlawful "for a person to perform body art on the areola or genitalia of a person 18 years of age regardless of parental consent." Thompson said the edits were intended to make the statute easier to administer and for practitioners to understand.

The committee did not conduct a roll‑call vote on the amendment or final passage; the transcript records voice votes and no recorded roll‑call tally. The measure will advance as the committee reported it.

Next steps: SB 392 passed the committee as amended and will move forward according to the Senate’s calendar.