Committee advances Barber and Cosmetology Act sunset bill with makeup‑exemption provision
March 31, 2026 | 2026 Legislature CO, Colorado
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The Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee unanimously advanced House Bill 1181, a sunset bill to continue and update the Barber and Cosmetology Practice Act through 2033 and implement recommendations from the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and the Colorado Office of Policy Research and Regulatory Reform's sunset report.
Senator Marchman, the sponsor, told the committee the bill updates definitions, adds exemptions for low‑risk services so everyday activities are not unintentionally regulated, and recognizes barbering and cosmetology's role in workforce development and rehabilitation programs in correctional facilities. He asked for a favorable vote.
Sarah Warner, Deputy Division Director for Policy and Communications at DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations, testified in support, saying the division backs the bill's recommended changes: repealing the Barber and Cosmetology Advisory Committee, updating terminology, and adding exemptions where no consumer harm has been reported. "These exemptions do not prohibit licensees from continuing to perform these services as they do today," Warner said, adding that removing licensure requirements for specific low‑risk services would relieve unnecessary regulatory burden.
Laura Kelly of the Institute for Justice urged adoption of the bill's makeup‑application exemption, saying it would reduce costs and barriers that require many aspiring makeup professionals to complete full cosmetology or aesthetician programs ill‑matched to their work. Kelly cited that about 17 states exempt makeup artistry and estimated cosmetology school costs in Colorado at roughly $17,500, with "fewer than 15 percent of students graduate[ing] on time," arguing the exemption would create a pathway for makeup artists without compromising safety; she also echoed DORA's statement that the division had received no consumer complaints tied to makeup application separate from unlicensed practice.
With no substantive committee questions for the witnesses, Senator Henriksen moved HB 1181 to the Committee on Appropriations with a favorable recommendation; the motion passed unanimously.
The bill's next step is consideration by the appropriations committee.
Senator Marchman, the sponsor, told the committee the bill updates definitions, adds exemptions for low‑risk services so everyday activities are not unintentionally regulated, and recognizes barbering and cosmetology's role in workforce development and rehabilitation programs in correctional facilities. He asked for a favorable vote.
Sarah Warner, Deputy Division Director for Policy and Communications at DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations, testified in support, saying the division backs the bill's recommended changes: repealing the Barber and Cosmetology Advisory Committee, updating terminology, and adding exemptions where no consumer harm has been reported. "These exemptions do not prohibit licensees from continuing to perform these services as they do today," Warner said, adding that removing licensure requirements for specific low‑risk services would relieve unnecessary regulatory burden.
Laura Kelly of the Institute for Justice urged adoption of the bill's makeup‑application exemption, saying it would reduce costs and barriers that require many aspiring makeup professionals to complete full cosmetology or aesthetician programs ill‑matched to their work. Kelly cited that about 17 states exempt makeup artistry and estimated cosmetology school costs in Colorado at roughly $17,500, with "fewer than 15 percent of students graduate[ing] on time," arguing the exemption would create a pathway for makeup artists without compromising safety; she also echoed DORA's statement that the division had received no consumer complaints tied to makeup application separate from unlicensed practice.
With no substantive committee questions for the witnesses, Senator Henriksen moved HB 1181 to the Committee on Appropriations with a favorable recommendation; the motion passed unanimously.
The bill's next step is consideration by the appropriations committee.
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