Textured hair training

AN ACT Relating to requiring training for cosmetologists, 1
barbers, estheticians, and hair designers on the care, styling, and 2
treatment of textured hair; amending RCW 18.16.020 and 18.16.030; and 3
creating a new section. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that nearly 65 6
percent of the world's population has textured hair, resulting in a 7
market of approximately one billion people, yet many clients with 8
textured hair report not having equitable access to professionally 9
trained and licensed stylists with the skill set and experience to 10
provide services for textured hair.11
The legislature also finds that in the appearance enhancement 12
industry, current standards for training and qualifications tend to 13
only apply to individuals with fine, straight hair. As such, students 14
attending schools of cosmetology or natural hair styling may complete 15
training programs without a full understanding of how to maintain, 16
treat, and style a diverse range of hair textures including curly, 17
coiled, coarse, and thick hair. This institutionalized gap in 18
knowledge can result in harm to health and damage to the hair of 19
clients from varying cultural and ethnic backgrounds.20
H-1112.1
HOUSE BILL 1874
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Morgan, Entenman, Reeves, Hill, Donaghy, Reed,
Street, Berg, Taylor, Scott, Thomas, Ryu, Thai, Salahuddin, Berry,
Gregerson, Parshley, Doglio, Nance, Caldier, Simmons, Peterson,
Macri, Obras, Pollet, Zahn, Ormsby, and Duerr
Read first time 02/06/25. Referred to Committee on Postsecondary
Education & Workforce.
p. 1 HB 1874
Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to establish a 1
process to empower cosmetologists with the skills and confidence to 2
consult and work with clients with textured hair while maintaining 3
the industry health and safety standards. 4
Sec. 2. RCW 18.16.020 and 2015 c 62 s 1 are each amended to read 5
as follows: 6
As used in this chapter, the following terms have the meanings 7
indicated unless the context clearly requires otherwise:8
(1) "Apprentice" means a person who is engaged in a state-9
approved apprenticeship program and who must receive a wage or 10
compensation while engaged in the program. 11
(2) "Apprentice monthly report" means the apprentice record of 12
daily activities and the number of hours completed in each course of 13
a curriculum that is prepared monthly by the approved apprenticeship 14
program and provided to the apprentice, audited annually by the 15
department, and kept on file by the approved apprenticeship program 16
for three years. 17
(3) "Apprentice trainer" means a person who gives training to an 18
apprentice in an approved apprenticeship program and who is approved 19
under RCW 18.16.280. 20
(4) "Apprenticeship program" means a state-approved 21
apprenticeship program pursuant to chapter 49.04 RCW and approved 22
under RCW 18.16.280 for the training of cosmetology, hair design, 23
barbering, esthetics, master esthetics, and manicuring.24
(5) "Apprenticeship training committee" means a committee 25
approved by the Washington apprenticeship and training council 26
established in chapter 49.04 RCW. 27
(6) "Approved apprenticeship shop" means a salon/shop that has 28
been approved under RCW 18.16.280 and chapter 49.04 RCW to 29
participate in an apprenticeship program. 30
(7) "Approved security" means surety bond. 31
(8) "Barber" means a person licensed under this chapter to engage 32
in the practice of barbering. 33
(9) "Board" means the cosmetology, hair design, barbering, 34
esthetics, and manicuring advisory board. 35
(10) "Cosmetologist" means a person licensed under this chapter 36
to engage in the practice of cosmetology. 37
(11) "Crossover training" means training approved by the director 38
as training hours that may be credited to current licensees for 39
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similar training received in another profession licensed under this 1
chapter. 2
(12) "Curriculum" means the courses of study taught at a school, 3
online training by a school, in an approved apprenticeship program 4
established by the Washington state apprenticeship and training 5
council and conducted in an approved salon/shop, or online training 6
by an approved apprenticeship program, set by rule under this 7
chapter, and approved by the department. After consulting with the 8
board, the director may set by rule a percentage of hours in a 9
curriculum, up to a maximum of ((ten)) 10 percent, that could include 10
hours a student receives while training in a salon/shop under a 11
contract approved by the department. Each curriculum must include at 12
least the following required hours: 13
(a) School curriculum: 14
(i) Cosmetologist, ((one thousand six hundred)) 1,600 hours;15
(ii) Hair design, ((one thousand four hundred)) 1,400 hours;16
(iii) Barber, ((one thousand)) 1,000 hours; 17
(iv) Manicurist, ((six hundred)) 600 hours; 18
(v) Esthetician, ((seven hundred fifty)) 750 hours;19
(vi) Master esthetician either: 20
(A) ((One thousand two hundred)) 1,200 hours; or21
(B) Esthetician licensure plus ((four hundred fifty )) 450 hours 22
of training; 23
(((vi) [(vii)])) (vii) Instructor-trainee, ((five hundred )) 500 24
hours, except that an instructor-trainee may submit documentation 25
that provides evidence of experience as a licensed cosmetologist, 26
hair designer, barber, manicurist, esthetician, or master esthetician 27
for competency evaluation toward credit of not more than ((three 28
hundred)) 300 hours of instructor-training. 29
(b) Apprentice training curriculum: 30
(i) Cosmetologist, ((two thousand)) 2,000 hours;31
(ii) Hair design, ((one thousand seven hundred fifty )) 1,750 32
hours; 33
(iii) Barber, ((one thousand two hundred)) 1,200 hours;34
(iv) Manicurist, ((eight hundred)) 800 hours; 35
(v) Esthetician, ((eight hundred)) 800 hours; 36
(vi) Master esthetician, ((one thousand four hundred )) 1,400 37
hours. 38
(13) "Department" means the department of licensing.39
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(14) "Director" means the director of the department of licensing 1
or the director's designee. 2
(15) "Esthetician" means a person licensed under this chapter to 3
engage in the practice of esthetics. 4
(16) "Hair design" means the practice of arranging, dressing, 5
cutting, trimming, styling, shampooing, permanent waving, chemical 6
relaxing, straightening, curling, bleaching, lightening, coloring, 7
mustache and beard design, and superficial skin stimulation of the 8
scalp. 9
(17) "Hair designer" means a person licensed under this chapter 10
to engage in the practice of hair design. 11
(18) "Individual license" means a cosmetology, hair design, 12
barber, manicurist, esthetician, master esthetician, or instructor 13
license issued under this chapter. 14
(19) "Instructor" means a person who gives instruction in a 15
school, or who provides classroom theory training to apprentices in 16
locations other than in a school, in a curriculum in which he or she 17
holds a license under this chapter, has completed at least ((five 18
hundred)) 500 hours of instruction in teaching techniques and lesson 19
planning in a school, or who has documented experience as an 20
instructor for more than ((five hundred)) 500 hours in another state 21
in the curriculum of study, and has passed a licensing examination 22
approved or administered by the director. An applicant who holds a 23
degree in education from an accredited postsecondary institution 24
shall upon application be licensed as an instructor to give 25
instruction in a school, or to provide classroom theory training to 26
apprentices in locations other than in a school, in a curriculum in 27
which he or she holds a license under this chapter. An applicant who 28
holds an instructional credential from an accredited community or 29
technical college and who has passed a licensing examination approved 30
or administered by the director shall upon application be licensed as 31
an instructor to give instruction in a school, or to provide 32
classroom theory training to apprentices in locations other than in a 33
school, in a curriculum in which he or she holds a license under this 34
chapter. To be approved as an "instructor" in an approved 35
apprenticeship program, the instructor must be a competent instructor 36
as defined in rules adopted under chapter 49.04 RCW.37
(20) "Instructor-trainee" means a person who is currently 38
licensed in this state as a cosmetologist, hair designer, barber, 39
manicurist, esthetician, or master esthetician, and is enrolled in an 40
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instructor-trainee curriculum in a school licensed under this 1
chapter. 2
(21) "Location license" means a license issued under this chapter 3
for a salon/shop, school, personal services, or mobile unit.4
(22) "Manicurist" means a person licensed under this chapter to 5
engage in the practice of manicuring. 6
(23) "Master esthetician" means a person licensed under this 7
chapter to engage in the practice of master esthetics.8
(24) "Mobile unit" is a location license under this chapter where 9
the practice of cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, master esthetics, 10
or manicuring is conducted in a mobile structure. Mobile units must 11
conform to the health and safety standards set by rule under this 12
chapter. 13
(25) "Online training" means theory training provided online, by 14
a school licensed under this chapter or an approved apprenticeship 15
program established by the Washington state apprenticeship and 16
training council, in the areas of cosmetology, hair design, master 17
esthetics, manicuring, barbering, esthetics, and instructor-training.18
(26) "Person" means any individual, partnership, professional 19
service corporation, joint stock association, joint venture, or any 20
other entity authorized to do business in this state.21
(27) "Personal services" means a location licensed under this 22
chapter where the practice of cosmetology, hair design, barbering, 23
manicuring, esthetics, or master esthetics is performed for clients 24
in the client's home, office, or other location that is convenient 25
for the client. 26
(28) "Practice of barbering" means the cutting, trimming, 27
arranging, dressing, curling, shampooing, shaving, and mustache and 28
beard design of the hair of the face, neck, and scalp.29
(29) "Practice of cosmetology" means arranging, dressing, 30
cutting, trimming, styling, shampooing, permanent waving, chemical 31
relaxing, straightening, curling, bleaching, lightening, coloring, 32
waxing, tweezing, shaving, and mustache and beard design of the hair 33
of the face, neck, and scalp; temporary removal of superfluous hair 34
by use of depilatories, waxing, or tweezing; manicuring and 35
pedicuring, limited to cleaning, shaping, polishing, decorating, and 36
caring for and treatment of the cuticles and nails of the hands and 37
feet, excluding the application and removal of sculptured or 38
otherwise artificial nails; esthetics limited to toning the skin of 39
the scalp, stimulating the skin of the body by the use of 40
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preparations, tonics, lotions, or creams; and tinting eyelashes and 1
eyebrows. 2
(30) "Practice of esthetics" means the care of the skin for 3
compensation by application, use of preparations, antiseptics, 4
tonics, essential oils, exfoliants, superficial and light peels, or 5
by any device, except laser, or equipment, electrical or otherwise, 6
or by wraps, compresses, cleansing, conditioning, stimulation, 7
superficial skin stimulation, pore extraction, or product application 8
and removal; temporary removal of superfluous hair by means of 9
lotions, creams, appliance, waxing, threading, tweezing, or 10
depilatories, including chemical means; and application of product to 11
the eyelashes and eyebrows, including extensions, design and 12
treatment, tinting and lightening of the hair, excluding the scalp. 13
Under no circumstances does the practice of esthetics include the 14
administration of injections. 15
(31) "Practice of manicuring" means the cleaning, shaping, 16
polishing, decorating, and caring for and treatment of the cuticles 17
and the nails of the hands or feet, and the application and removal 18
of sculptured or otherwise artificial nails by hand or with 19
mechanical or electrical apparatus or appliances. 20
(32) "Practice of master esthetics" means the care of the skin 21
for compensation including all of the methods allowed in the 22
definition of the practice of esthetics. It also includes the 23
performance of medium depth peels and the use of medical devices for 24
care of the skin and permanent hair reduction. The medical devices 25
include, but are not limited to, lasers, light, radio frequency, 26
plasma, intense pulsed light, and ultrasound. The use of a medical 27
device must comply with state law and rules, including any laws or 28
rules that require delegation or supervision by a licensed health 29
professional acting within the scope of practice of that health 30
profession. 31
(33) "Salon/shop" means any building, structure, or any part 32
thereof, other than a school, where the commercial practice of 33
cosmetology, barbering, hair design, esthetics, master esthetics, or 34
manicuring is conducted; provided that any person, except employees 35
of a salon/shop, who operates from a salon/shop is required to meet 36
all salon/shop licensing requirements and may participate in the 37
apprenticeship program when certified as established by the 38
Washington state apprenticeship and training council established in 39
chapter 49.04 RCW. 40
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(34) "School" means any establishment that offers curriculum of 1
instruction in the practice of cosmetology, hair design, barbering, 2
esthetics, master esthetics, manicuring, or instructor-trainee to 3
students and is licensed under this chapter. 4
(35) "Student" means a person ((sixteen)) 16 years of age or 5
older who is enrolled in a school licensed under this chapter and 6
receives instruction in any of the curricula of cosmetology, 7
barbering, hair design, esthetics, master esthetics, manicuring, or 8
instructor-training with or without tuition, fee, or cost, and who 9
does not receive any wage or commission. 10
(36) "Student monthly report" means the student record of daily 11
activities and the number of hours completed in each course of a 12
curriculum that is prepared monthly by the school and provided to the 13
student, audited annually by the department, and kept on file by the 14
school for three years. 15
(37) "Textured hair" means hair that, rather than lying straight, 16
naturally has a distinct shape or pattern such as coils, curls, 17
kinks, spirals, or waves that make it harder for natural scalp oils 18
to travel down the hair shaft, creates potential breakage points at 19
each twist or bend, and tends to have high porosity requiring 20
hydration, sealing, and protection. Textured hair also includes hair 21
that has historically been styled in cornrows, locs, twists, box 22
braids, afros, and bantu knots.23
Sec. 3. RCW 18.16.030 and 2019 c 442 s 7 are each amended to 24
read as follows: 25
In addition to any other duties imposed by law, including RCW 26
18.235.030 and 18.235.040, the director shall have the following 27
powers and duties: 28
(1) To set all license, examination, and renewal fees in 29
accordance with RCW 43.24.086; 30
(2) To adopt rules necessary to implement this chapter;31
(3) To prepare and administer or approve the preparation and 32
administration of licensing examinations; 33
(4) To establish minimum safety and sanitation standards for 34
schools, instructors, cosmetologists, barbers, hair designers, 35
manicurists, estheticians, master estheticians, salons/shops, 36
personal services, and mobile units; 37
(5) To establish curricula for the training of students and 38
apprentices under this chapter , including training for 39
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cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, and hair designers on the 1
care, styling, and treatment of textured hair which must include:2
(a) Techniques for cutting, styling, and chemically treating 3
textured hair;4
(b) Instruction on products and tools specifically designed for 5
textured hair;6
(c) Best practices for hair health and scalp care for clients 7
with textured hair; and8
(d) Cultural competency and historical education on the 9
significance of textured hair in diverse communities;10
(6) To maintain the official department record of applicants and 11
licensees; 12
(7) To establish by rule the procedures for an appeal of an 13
examination failure; 14
(8) To set license expiration dates and renewal periods for all 15
licenses consistent with this chapter; and 16
(9) To make information available to the department of revenue to 17
assist in collecting taxes from persons required to be licensed under 18
this chapter. 19
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