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Sponsor Testimony — Representative Melanie Miller on House Bill 158 (May 16, 2023)

Summary

Representative Melanie Miller, Ohio House District 67, gave sponsor testimony on House Bill 158 to the House Commerce and Labor Committee on May 16, 2023. The testimony says the State Boards of Cosmetology and Barbering were combined into one board in 2017, and that the bill would standardize Ohio's regulation of personal appearance service providers. It says most Ohio cosmetology schools cost between $11,000 and $21,500 in tuition along with material costs. It describes the bill as reducing the age to apply for a barber or cosmetology license to 16 years old and changing the requirement of additional training hours for an individual who fails the licensing exam.

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“Sponsor Testimony — Representative Melanie Miller on House Bill 158 (May 16, 2023).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2023-05-16-commerce-labor-testimony-testimony-4769-e282ff6ebf/, SHA-256 5795c6a600708848de9d70f08376b08a0e432f38c41a79643b32699716154868.

Full text

                              Representative Melanie Miller
                                   Ohio House District 67

                           House Commerce & Labor Committee
                            House Bill 158 – Sponsor Testimony
                                  Tuesday, May 16, 2023


Chairman Johnson, Vice-Chair Manchester, Ranking Member McNally and members of the House
Commerce and Labor Committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide sponsor testimony in
support of House Bill 158.

Since the State Boards of Cosmetology and Barbering were combined into one board in 2017, we
have seen the need to harmonize the sections of the Ohio Revised Code on Cosmetology and
Barbering to match. The law is not adequately adjusted to account for this merger. We have a
unique opportunity to clean-up the cosmetology and barbing statues to reduce barriers for the
profession as we work to improve our workforce.

House Bill 158 is simply a bill to standardize Ohio’s regulation of these personal appearance
service providers to create a more efficient pathway for current cosmetologists and barbers as well
as the many individuals moving into the field.

As my Joint Sponsor, Representative Roemer, has covered the outline of the functional changes
this bill brings to the Barber and Cosmetology industry, I’d like to bring to your attention some of
the reasons these changes are necessary. Proper care for your appearance has a positive impact on
health by eliminating stress, raises self-esteem and improves the health of hair and nails.i House
Bill 158 will make these services more readily accessible by encouraging more licensed and well-
trained barbers and cosmetologists in our workforce to meet the demand.

In Ohio, most cosmetology schools cost between $11,000 and $21,500 in tuition along with
material costs.ii The choice to attend cosmetology school shows a desire to invest in a skillset that
you can practice for years to come. We have an opportunity to partner with students in this
investment by streamlining the process, both for their training and certification as well as their
practice as fully licensed cosmetologists.

House Bill 158 also reduces the age at which an individual can apply for their barber or
cosmetology license to 16 years old. It also changes the requirement of an individual having to
obtain additional training hours if he or she fails to pass their licensing exam. With this change, the

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bill encourages Ohio students who are able to meet the Cosmetology and Barber Board standards
to begin working and building a profession for themselves as soon as they are ready to do so. To
complement this change, the bill also cleans up the language in the Ohio Revised Code on
sanitation standards and necessary licensure for different areas of practice, which prioritizes the
well-being of clients seeking services to encourage their business.

I am confident that these and other changes that update our code will serve to encourage the Barber
and Cosmetology industry to grow and thrive in Ohio.

Thank you again, Chairman Johnson and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify
before you today. We would be happy to answer any questions you have at this time.




i
 https://beautyinstitute.us/the-positive-impact-cosmetology-has-on-
health/#:~:text=Customers%20visiting%20hair%20or%20nail,health%20of%20hair%20and%20nails.
ii
     https://www.cosmetology-license.com/ohio/top-nine-cosmetology-schools-in-ohio/




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