HB531 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Kurt Wallace

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Barbering and Cosmetology, Board of, established, regulation of cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, manicurists, and natural hairstylists and their shops and schools, Secs. 34-7B-1 to 34-7B-25, inclusive, added; Secs. 34-7A-1 to 34-7A-25, inclusive, repealed

Summary

HB531 would replace the existing Alabama Board of Cosmetology with a new Alabama Board of Barbering and Cosmetology to regulate all beauty and hair services and their schools.

What This Bill Does

It creates the Alabama Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, repeals the old Board of Cosmetology, and moves board membership to the new entity with a process for electing new members and hiring an executive director. It regulates cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, manicurists, and natural hairstylists and their shops and schools under a new Chapter 7B, Title 34, with authority to license, discipline, and adopt rules under the Administrative Procedure Act. It establishes licensing requirements, fees, and a dedicated fund, sets shop and school standards, creates governing and disciplinary procedures (including hearings and fines), and provides transitional provisions and public record access.

Who It Affects

• Licensees and school/shop owners: must obtain and renew licenses, meet education-hour requirements, pay fees, and operate under new board rules; may be subject to disciplinary actions for violations.
• Consumers and the general public: will benefit from regulated practices, board oversight, disciplinary actions, and access to board records and rulings.

Key Provisions

• Creates the seven-member Alabama Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, appointed by the Governor, with specific representation: two cosmetologists, two barbers, one esthetician, one manicurist, and one consumer, including district residency and diversity requirements.
• Repeals Chapter 7A and establishes Chapter 7B, transferring regulation of all listed practices and their shops/schools to the new board; preserves existing board activities until transition.
• Requires an executive director and establishes the board’s powers, duties, rulemaking, and adherence to the Administrative Procedure Act; permits public distribution of rules and public inspection of records.
• Sets licensing and education-hour requirements for each occupation: barber 1,000 hours; cosmetologist 1,500 hours; esthetician 1,500 hours; natural hair stylist 210 hours; manicurist 750 hours; instructor training hours and experience options; and specific rules for licenses by reciprocity or transfer.
• Implements license durations and renewal rules with expiration dates (non-barber licenses by birth month parity, barber licenses by birth month parity, and business licenses expiring Sept 30 of odd-numbered years) and late renewal penalties.
• Creates a Board Fund in the State Treasury to manage all board monies with a defined spending process and year-end fund carryover.
• Requires schools and shops to meet stringent setup and operation standards (bonds of $50,000 for schools, liability insurance, floor plans, contracts, student records, and instructor staffing ratios), plus ongoing school operation requirements such as hours, examinations, and recordkeeping.
• Empowers the board to deny, suspend, or revoke licenses for specified misconduct (fraud, felony, professional misconduct, false advertising, misuse of licenses) with due process and required hearing notices, and to levy administrative fines up to $750 per violation.
• Establishes enforcement and appeal processes, including maintaining public records, and allows for appeals in Montgomery County Circuit Court; provides for continued validity of existing licenses under the new framework.
• Outlines exemptions from licensure for certain activities (emergency services, licensed medical professionals within scope, armed forces, some public schools, and incidental hairdressing without public-facing practice).
• Includes transitional provisions to continue existing licensee status and to align administrative rules with the new chapter, with the act becoming effective after a defined delay post-passage.
• Notes the bill is exempt from a local funding veto rule due to specific exceptions related to new or amended crimes or expenditures.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Cosmetology, Board of