Committee approves strike-and-insert lowering cosmetology licensure age, expanding apprenticeships

The Senate Committee on Government Organization on a voice vote approved a strike-and-insert for House Bill 47-93 that combines three prior measures to change cosmetology and barber licensure and apprenticeship rules. Committee counsel explained the revision creates a new definition of “apprentice,” lowers the professional licensure age from 18 to 16 for those who have completed at least tenth grade, expands apprenticeship authorization to include aestheticians, nail technicians, hairstylists and waxing specialists, and allows certain apprenticeship starts as young as 14 with updated sponsor requirements.

The change follows a senator’s concern that earlier language could be read as exempting some services from licensure. Senator from Jefferson said the amendment is intended to clarify that salon training participants perform services only “under the general supervision of a licensee who regularly provides the services.” Counsel read the amendment back and the committee adopted an amendment to the amendment before approving the strike-and-insert as amended. The committee then voted to report the bill to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass.

Delegate Teresa Howe, the House lead sponsor, told the panel she brought the bill to expand opportunities for youth and that the proposal to lower age limits came at the request of industry stakeholders. “Everyone that I’ve represented in the industry and individuals that live in West Virginia that asked me to present this bill… they do not agree with the salon training program,” Howe said, arguing her intent was to lower age limits and add nail technicians and aestheticians at the board’s request. Howe also said the Institute for Justice had promoted the salon training concept in other contexts.

The strike-and-insert merges provisions from Senate Bill 486 and Senate Bill 654 and other related language to resolve code conflicts, counsel said. Key changes included removing certain enumerated services from a training-program line so that the statute states salons may employ persons to provide services under general supervision rather than carving out an explicit list that had caused interpretive concern.

After discussion and clarification from counsel and the bill’s House sponsor, the committee adopted the amendment and the modified strike-and-insert. Vice Chair moved that House Bill 47-93 be reported to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass as amended; the Chair declared the motion adopted by voice vote. The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; the outcome was recorded by voice vote as adopted.

The bill, as explained to the committee, removes a high-school diploma/GED requirement tied to the lowered age, requires sponsor certification rather than merely licensure for apprentice sponsors, and consolidates multiple previously filed bills into the strike-and-insert to avoid code conflicts. The committee’s action advances the proposal to the full Senate for further consideration.