The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) is helping spa and salon professionals have their voice heard when it comes to opposing deregulation in the industry. Different bills are being created to allow any individual to practice cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology and barbering without a license in numerous states.
The PBA is providing the resources to find the legislators that support the spa, salon and beauty community as well as the opportunity to sign up for text alerts to stay up-to-date on what is happening. The site states "Sign up to receive alerts when action needs to be taken on legislation in your state or at the federal level! Whether it's legislation to improve the industry or a bill seeking to remove the requirement to have a cosmetology license, we are influential when we assemble."
The current deregulation bills that we, as spa professionals and lovers of the industry, need to take a stand against include the following:
- Illinois House Bill 5558: This bill will allow any individual to practice cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology and barbering without a license.
- Michigan House Bill 5438: This bill will completely deregulate barbering. Representative Steven Johnson stated, "This license is an unnecessary regulation and does nothing to protect public safety."
- Rhode Island House Bill 7484: This bill will drastically the educational requirements with cosmetology education being reduced to 600 hours, manicurist reduced to 200 hours, esthetics reduced to 300 hours and barbering reduced to 600 hours.
- (In Tennessee) Senate Bill 1914 and House Bill 1945: These companion bills would allow any person to practice cosmetology without a license as long as the provider enters into a written contract with the client to waive liability.
- (In Utah) House Bill 410: This bill will allow to anyone to shampoo, condition, dress, dry, style, flat iron, curl and arrange hair without a license or training.
- (In Minnesota) House File 3202 and Senate File 2898: These companion bills will allow anyone to shampoo, condition, dress, dry, style, flat iron, curl and arrange hair without a license or training.
However, it's not all about opposing. The PBA also has some opportunities to let your voice be heard when it comes to tax tip credit including
- S.2634: This legislation will provide a dollar for dollar tax credit on the employer's share of FICA taxes paid on employee tip income, allow salon owners to reinvest funding into their salons for training, education and hiring additional staff, promote tax fairness, modernize tax filing requirements for employers to reduce the risk of IRS audits and simplify the information reporting rules for salon professionals in non-employer work arrangements to improve compliance.
- H.R. 1349: This legislation will provide a dollar for dollar tax credit on the employer's share of FICA taxes paid on employee tip income, allow salon owners to reinvest funding into their salons for training, education and hiring additional staff, promote tax fairness, modernize tax filing requirements for employers to reduce the risk of IRS audits and simplify the information reporting rules for salon professionals in non-employer work arrangements to improve compliance.
It's important to take actions in supporting the industry both when it comes to supporting and opposing decisions that could be made. Don't let your voice go unheard.
