Establishes optional special needs training program for professional and shop licensees of New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling.

S3752

SENATE, No. 3752

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 5, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes optional special needs training program
for professional and shop licensees of New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology
and Hairstyling.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning cosmetology and hairstyling and amending and
supplementing P.L.1984, c.205.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 6 of P.L.1984,
c.205 (C.45:5B-6) is amended to read as follows:

���� 6.��� The board shall:

���� a.���� Review the
qualifications of applicants for licensure;

���� b.��� Devise examinations for
licensure which include practical and written portions;

���� c.���� Administer and grade
examinations or employ competent examiners to administer and grade examinations
but in no case shall the board permit a person having any affiliation with a
licensed school to examine or grade an applicant who has been a registered student
at the school with which the examiner has an affiliation;

���� d.��� Issue and renew licenses
of any cosmetologist-hairstylist, beautician, barber, manicurist, skin care
specialist, teacher, shop, chair or booth rental, or school;

���� e.���� Issue student permits
to registered students, which permits shall remain valid during the period that
the student is registered at a licensed school or enrolled in an approved
vocational training program;

���� f.���� Issue temporary permits
to applicants for licensure who are awaiting scheduling for or results from an
examination;

���� g.��� Issue registration cards
to registered students;

���� h.��� Suspend, revoke or
refuse to renew a license and exercise investigative powers pursuant to the
provisions of P.L.1978, c.73 (C.45:1-14 et seq.);

���� i.���� Appoint and employ an
executive director and an assistant executive director subject to the approval
of the Attorney General, and other employees as necessary to carry out the
provisions of
[
this
act
]

P.L.1984,
c.205 (C.45:5B-1 et seq.)
;

���� j.���� Determine the duties
that the executive director and the assistant executive director shall perform;

���� k.��� File with the Attorney
General a petition to remove any executive director or assistant executive
director for cause, which petition shall be acted upon by the Attorney General
in a manner which he deems appropriate;

���� l.���� Establish fees for
initial licensure, permits, renewals and restoration of licenses as well as for
duplication of lost licenses pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1974, c.46
(C.45:1-3.2);

���� m.�� Maintain records of all
practicing licensees and all licensed teachers.� Records shall include the
latest work address of each licensee, as provided on applications for licensure
and renewals thereof
, and if the licensee completed training pursuant to
section 2 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as
this bill) to provide services to individuals with special needs
;

���� n.��� Maintain a record of all
registered students and all persons holding student permits;

���� o.��� Maintain a record of all
shops licensed by the board to offer one or more of the services encompassed
within the definition of cosmetology and hairstyling
, which shall include,
if applicable, if a shop or mobile shop is certified as �friendly to
individuals with special needs� pursuant to section 2 of P.L.��� , c.���
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)
;

���� p.��� Maintain a record of all
schools licensed by the board to offer courses of instruction or training in
the practice and theory of cosmetology and hairstyling, beauty culture,
barbering, manicuring, hair braiding and skin care specialty to registered
students, which courses shall be approved by the board for the awarding of
credit for licensure;

���� q.��� Make available for
public inspection all records required to be kept pursuant to this section;

���� r.���� Promulgate regulations
governing the practice and teaching of cosmetology and hairstyling, beauty
culture, barbering, manicuring, hair braiding and skin care specialty as are
necessary to implement of P.L.1984, c.205 (C.45:5B-1 et seq.) and to insure
that cosmetology and hairstyling services and instruction in those services are
being offered both in a manner which is sanitary and safe and in a manner which
is not intended to deceive or mislead the general public;

���� s.���� Promulgate regulations
governing the conduct of shops, including but not limited to mobile facilities,
chair or booth rentals, and schools as are necessary to implement of P.L.1984,
c.205 (C.45:5B-1 et seq.), including, but not limited to, regulations that
ensure that all schools offer instruction on cosmetology and hairstyling,
beauty culture, barbering, manicuring, hair braiding and skin care specialty by
instructors who are knowledgeable in the practice and teaching of cosmetology
and hairstyling, beauty culture, barbering, manicuring, hair braiding and skin
care specialty, as the case may be, and to assure that cosmetology and
hairstyling services and instruction in those services are being offered both
in a manner that is sanitary and safe, and in a manner not intended to deceive
or mislead the general public, students of the schools, or organizations
awarding financial aid to the students and to clarify or define any term used
in the act and to define any activity included in hairstyling and cosmetology,
beauty culture, barbering, manicuring, hair braiding and skin care specialty;

���� t.���� Review curricula
offered by licensed schools in courses of instruction offered to registered
students and approve those curricula which offer comprehensive training in
cosmetology and hairstyling, beauty culture, barbering, manicuring, hair
braiding and skin care specialty;

���� u.��� Direct the conduct of
inspections and investigations of all licensed shops, including shops with
chair or booth rentals, and schools;

���� v.��� Direct the conduct of
inspections or investigations of any premises from which the board may have
reason to believe that cosmetology and hairstyling, beauty culture, barbering,
manicuring, hair braiding and skin care specialty services are being offered,
or that courses of instruction are being offered to registered students;

���� w.�� Establish criteria and
standards for education and experience required for licensure;
[
and
]

���� x.��� Maintain a record of all
individuals holding chair or booth rental licenses
; and

����
y.��� Establish the
criteria and standards for:

����
(1)�� instruction and
training of a board licensee in providing services to individuals with special
needs, including, but not limited to, individuals with sensory processing
disorder; and

����
(2) the certification of
shops licensed pursuant to section 9 of P.L.1984, c.205 (C.45:5B-9) and mobile
shops licensed pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2021, c.275 (C.45:5B-9.1) that seek
to provide services to individuals with special needs
.

(cf: P.L.2025, c.18, s.2)�

���� 2.��� (New section) a.� The
board shall collaborate with educational and community organizations, as
designated by the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, to establish
criteria and standards for:

���� (1)�� a licensee of the board
who seeks training in providing services to individuals with special needs; and

���� (2)�� a program that certifies
a shop licensed pursuant to section 9 of P.L.1984, c.205 (C.45:5B-9) or a
mobile shop licensed pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2021, c.275 (C.45:5B-9.1) as
friendly to individuals with special needs.

���� b.��� A licensee who completes
instruction and training as established by the board, pursuant to subsection a.
of this section, shall submit proof demonstrating the completion to the board.�
Upon approval by the board, the individual shall be issued a designation, in a
form and manner to be determined by the board, that the individual is
authorized to provide services to individuals with special needs.� A licensee
who seeks to maintain the designation may be required, as determined by the
board, to receive additional training prior to biennial renewal of the license.

���� c.���� A shop or mobile shop
may apply to the board for certification pursuant to subsection a. of this
section.� The board shall prescribe regulations concerning the requirements for
the application, which shall include, at a minimum, satisfactory evidence that
at least one half of the practicing licensees employed by the shop have
completed the training program established pursuant to subsection x. of section
6 of P.L.1984, c.205 (C.45:5B-6).� Certification pursuant to this section shall
be renewable on an annual basis on a date determined by the board.

���� d.��� Upon approval by the
board of an application submitted by a shop or mobile shop for certification
pursuant to this section, the board shall issue a sign, to be conspicuously
displayed in the shop, indicating that the shop is so certified and has the
designation as �friendly to individuals with special needs.�

���� e.���� No shop may display a
sign indicating that the shop is �friendly to individuals with special needs�
unless the shop is certified pursuant to this section.

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the 24th month next following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes a
training program for cosmetology and hairstyling licensees to receive
instruction and training in how to work with individuals with special needs,
including individuals with sensory processing disorder.� Under the bill, any
person who holds a license to practice cosmetology and hairstyling, hair
braiding, barbering, beauty culture, manicuring, or skin care specialty in the
State may undertake the training program.

���� In addition, the bill
establishes a certification for shops and mobile shops licensed by the New
Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (the board) to indicate that
the shop is �friendly to individuals with special needs.�� The board is to prescribe
regulations concerning the requirements for an application for certification
pursuant to the bill, which requirements are to include, at a minimum, satisfactory
evidence that at least one half of the practicing licensee employed by the shop
have completed the training program established pursuant to the bill.� Upon
completion of a satisfactory application to the board, a shop is to be issued a
sign indicating that the shop is �friendly to individuals with special needs.�

���� The bill requires the board to
collaborate with educational and community organizations, as designated by the
Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, to establish criteria and
standards for training for practicing licensees and certification for shop
licensees.