LICENSING: Amends and repeals administrative licensing requirements relative to alternative hair and alternative hair design

HLS 26RS-55 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 2
BY REPRESENTATIVE BAYHAM
LICENSING: Amends and repeals administrative licensing requirements relative to
alternative hair and alternative hair design
1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 To amend and reenact the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology rules (LAC 46:XXXI.101
3 and 1101(A)) and to repeal rules (LAC 46:XXXI.1105 and 1107), which provide
4 definitions, a special permit, and a curriculum relative to alternative hair and
5 alternative hair design, and to direct the office of the state register to print the
6 amendments and notice of repeal in the Louisiana Administrative Code.
7 WHEREAS, LAC 46:XXXI.101 defines "alternative hair" and "alternative hair
8 design"; and
9 WHEREAS, "alternative hair" means "any hair which is not a person's own hair
10 including synthetic hair, wiggery, braids, postich or any applied hair"; and
11 WHEREAS, "alternative hair design" is "the practice of styling hair by twisting,
12 wrapping, weaving, extending, locking, or braiding the hair by either the use of hands or
13 mechanical devices or appliances. The practice of alternative hair design shall include the
14 application of antiseptics, powders, oils, clays, lotions, or tonics to the alternative hair but
15 shall not include the application of dyes, reactive chemicals, or other preparations to alter
16 the structure or style of the natural hair"; and
17 WHEREAS, LAC 46:XXXI.1101 requires the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology
18 (board) to issue a Special Permit for Alternative Hair Design to any person who meets the
19 requirements set forth in the board rules, and according to LAC 46:XXXI.1105(A),
20 "Individuals with special permits for alternative hair design shall be authorized to provide
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HLS 26RS-55 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 2
1 alternative hair design services only in facilities licensed by the board as cosmetology
2 salons"; and
3 WHEREAS, LAC 46:XXXI.1107 establishes the Alternative Hair Design
4 Curriculum which contains five hundred hours of required instruction including but not
5 limited to the following:
6 "1. History Overview
7 a. Ancient Origins of Braiding
8 b. Traditional Multi-Cultural Braid Styles
9 c. The Multi-Cultural American Hair Experience
10 2. Bacteriology and Sanitation
11 a. Types of Bacteria
12 b. Growth and Reproduction of Bacteria
13 c. Prevention of Infection and Infection Control
14 d. Use of Antiseptics, Disinfectants and Detergents
15 3. Client Consultation
16 4. Hair Types and Hair Structure
17 5. Scalp Diseases and Disorders
18 6. Shampoos, Conditioners, Herbal Treatments and Rinses for Synthetic Hair
19 Only
20 7. Braiding and Sculpting
21 8. Louisiana Cosmetology Act and Rules and Regulations"; and
22 WHEREAS, the definition of "alternative hair design" and the related Special Permit
23 for Alternative Hair Design were promulgated by the board in 2003; and
24 WHEREAS, techniques used to create alternative hair designs may be deemed by
25 some as African hair braiding or styling, but practitioners and customers are not limited to
26 any particular cultural, ethnic, racial, or religious group; and
27 WHEREAS, the practice of alternative hair design is safe, time-tested, and presents
28 no significant health or safety risks, because practitioners engaged in alternative hair design
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HLS 26RS-55 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 2
1 are not permitted to use "dyes, reactive chemicals, or other preparations to alter the structure
2 or style of the natural hair"; and
3 WHEREAS, a 2016 study conducted by the Institute for Justice shows that between
4 2006 and 2012 the board received no complaints regarding persons practicing alternative
5 hair design; and
6 WHEREAS, the same study showed that complaints are generally rare, as licensing
7 boards in ten jurisdictions, including Louisiana, received only one hundred thirty complaints
8 in seven years, and only six complaints raised concerns of harm to customers, and none of
9 the six complaints were verified by respective boards; and
10 WHEREAS, it is reasonable to estimate that thousands of citizens in this state earn
11 a living through the practice of alternative hair design; and
12 WHEREAS, freeing such citizens from strict, unnecessary licensing requirements
13 may stimulate economic development through access to lines of credit for the establishment
14 of salons and related small business, which in turn may promote increased financial stability
15 and economic well-being of families; and
16 WHEREAS, due to the lack of risks regarding the health and safety of both the
17 practitioner and customer, alternative hair design in the state of Louisiana should be an
18 occupational field free of licensing, and appropriately, LAC 46:XXXI.101 and 1101(A)
19 should be amended and reenacted and LAC 46:XXXI.1105 and 1107 should be repealed
20 with respect to alternative hair and alternative hair design; and
21 WHEREAS, R.S. 49:969 provides that the legislature, by concurrent resolution, may
22 suspend, amend, or repeal any rule adopted by a state department, agency, board, or
23 commission.
24 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of Louisiana that LAC
25 46:XXXI.101 and 1101(A) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
26 §101. Definitions
27 A. As used in this Part, the following words shall have the meaning herein
28 ascribed to each, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.:
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HLS 26RS-55 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 2
1 Alternative Hair - any hair which is not a person's own hair including
2 synthetic hair, wiggery, braids, postich or any applied hair.
3 Alternative Hair Design - the practice of styling hair by twisting, wrapping
4 weaving, extending, locking or braiding the hair by either the use of hands or
5 mechanical devices or appliances. The practice of alternative hair design shall
6 include the application of antiseptics, powders, oils, clays, lotions or tonics to the
7 alternative hair but shall not include the application of dyes, reactive chemicals or
8 other preparations to alter the structure or style of the natural hair.
9 Client - a person who receives a cosmetology, esthetics or manicuring
10 service.
11 Dermaplaning - a technique to exfoliate the epidermis and remove the vellus
12 hair with a bladed tool.
13 Dermis - underlying or inner layer of the skin; the layer below the epidermis;
14 the corium or true skin, including papillary layer, capillaries, tactile corpuscles,
15 melanin (pigment), subcutaneous tissue, adipose or subcutis, arteries and lymphatics.
16 Disposable - an item which cannot be sanitized. All disposable items shall
17 be discarded after a single use. The following items shall be considered disposable:
18 facial tissues, sponges, cloths, extraction tissue, lancets, gloves, wax strips and
19 sticks, tissues, cotton pads and emery boards.
20 Epidermis - the outermost layer of the skin; the outer epithetical portion of
21 the skin including stratum corneous, stratum lucidum, stratum granulosum, stratum
22 spinosum (prickle cell layer), stratum mucosum, and stratum germinativum.
23 Esthetic Services - as defined in R.S. 37:563(8), includes but is not limited
24 to make-up application, facials, superficial chemical peels, dermaplaning,
25 microdermabrasion, nano-needling and other similar services performed on the
26 epidermis.
27 Exfoliate or Exfoliation - the process of sloughing off, removing or peeling
28 dead skin cells of the epidermis using chemicals or devices.
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HLS 26RS-55 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 2
1 Nano-Needling - a non-invasive technique for transdermal serum delivery
2 performed using a skin needling device which does not penetrate beyond the
3 epidermis of more than .25 mm of the outmost layer of skin.
4 Natural Hair - any hair which is a person's own which has grown on the
5 person's body and has not been separated from the person's body.
6 Sanitize or Sanitization - the process of using heat, steam or chemicals to
7 destroy microbial life, including highly resistant bacterial endospores. Sanitization
8 shall be performed using EPA registered hospital grade disinfectant or a sterilization
9 device which uses heat or steam in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
10 * * *
11 §1101. Special Permits
12 A. Special Permits. The board shall issue the following special permits to
13 any person who meets the requirements set forth in the board's rules:
14 1. alternative hair design; natural hair braiding;
15 2. shampoo assistants; and
16 3. threading.
17 * * *
18 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of Louisiana that LAC
19 46:XXXI.1105 and 1107 are hereby repealed in their entirety.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
21 office of the state register and the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the office of the state register is hereby directed
23 to have the amendments to LAC 46:XXXI.101 and 1101(A) and the repeal of LAC
24 46:XXXI.1105 and 1107 printed and incorporated into the Louisiana Administrative Code
25 and to transmit a copy of the revised rules to the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology.
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HLS 26RS-55 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 2
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 2 Original 2026 Regular Session Bayham
Amends LAC 46:XXXI.101 and 1101(A) of the La. State Bd. of Cosmetology (board) which
provide definitions and a special permit relative to "alternative hair" and "alternative hair
design".
Repeals LAC 46:XXXI.1105 and 1107 of the board which provide details for attaining the
special permit and a curriculum relative to alternative hair design.
Directs the La. Register to print the amendments to LAC 46:XXXI.101 and 1101(A) and the
repeal to LAC 46:XXXI.1105 and 1107 in the La. Administrative Code.
(Amends LAC 46:XXXI.101 and 1101(A); Repeals LAC 46:XXXI.1105 and 1107)
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